Things that change for better or for worse
by Sissy
Summary: That something happened and Mikado ran away. When he returns, it's noticeable he has changed. But what sort of change is it? /szmk/older characters!AU/COMPLETE/
1. The Beginning of Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse**  
>Prologue:<strong> The Beginning of Change**  
>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.**  
>Warning:<strong> This plot (rather this chapter) came to me while I was showering. Weird, huh? Washing your hair does wonders to the brain. Also, in this particular chapter, Mikado is 21. And memory flashbacks are "_lonely italics_".

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><p>"<em>I said don't walk away! You can't just ignore what happened! Ryugamine! … Mikado!<em>"

"Ryugamine-kun, are you listening to me?" Ryugamine Mikado was brought out of his thoughts to see his university professor looking at him with a look that projected half-anger and half-worry. It seems he had wanted to say something else but stopped himself while waiting for Mikado's response.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I was also thinking about another matter. I apologize. But I was listening." Mikado tried to reassure the man with a smile on his face but the professor simply sighed before continuing any further.

"I'll repeat it again, just in case. The professor took a liking to you and left this with me. You're graduating soon so I think you should definitely consider the option. It'll do you some good." The professor repeated as he handed Mikado a file filled with about a dozen papers or more. "The deadline is in two weeks so think it over a bit."

"Yes, thank you." Mikado took the file and gave him a bow before leaving the office. He immediately sighed deeply, cursing himself for thinking too hard on the other subject in his mind. It still lingered deeply, the accident from that time. And he hadn't given the person in question an apology for what happened. Not that they would've taken his apology to begin with.

Mikado sighed once more and walked away from the office, thinking about his next move. The papers in his hand weighed heavily as well. It wasn't something he should take lightly. So he decided to think about it. The offer was good after all. He did want to think it through.

Walking down the stairs, he met with his friends who had been waiting for him. So, for the sake of not worrying them, he smiled. Because it was the only thing he could do for the moment.

At least, until the time he would make a decision.

… … …

There is no one in the room right now.  
>Tanaka Taro-san has entered the room.<p>

**Tanaka Taro:** Is anyone here today?**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> Doesn't seem like it…**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> It's too early, right?**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> I figured…**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> Um, I'd like to apologize to everyone…**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> That is, since I won't be on for a while, I'd like to apologize.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> I didn't want to talk about this since it would probably cause some problems.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> And I thought everyone might worry.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> What I mean to say is…I'm leaving for America for a while.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> Today, that is.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> That's all.**  
>Tanaka Taro:<strong> Good bye for now.

Tanaka Taro-san has left the room.  
>There is no one in the room right now.<p>

… … …

Mikado turned off his phone with a saddened look and turned around. He tried smiling at the woman at the counter before handing her his ticket and immediately took the first step into the hallway. The plane was to leave soon so he wanted to say, or write, his goodbyes in the one place he knew the important people to him would see it. Unfortunately, that didn't include the one person he was never able to apologize to.

With deep breaths, Mikado calmed his nerves and stopped himself from looking back in fear that he might see the impossible. He knew it would never happen but he would probably lose his resolve if he looked back now. So he continued on and boarded the plane in silence.

And so Mikado left.

**To Be Continued…**

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><p>Sissy: I've decided to start since I'm nearly done with this project. I had started this quite a while ago and it's 30+ chapters long at the moment, so please enjoy it. I'm not going to reveal too much so you all can have a small guessing game, though it's pretty obvious.<p> 


	2. The Return of Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse**  
>Chapter 1:<strong> The Return of Change 1**  
>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.**  
>Warning:<strong> Fear the return of my chat! Other than that, nothing I can think off.

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><p><strong>Saika:<strong> Oh, I have to leave soon.**  
><strong>

**Setton:** Ah, you're busy with the shop, right? Is it the inventory?

**Bakyura:** Inventory? I'm great at that! Call me if you need me! =D

**Saika:** Oh, no. It's not that. I have to pick up a friend.

**Setton:** Really? Someone is going to visit you?

**Bakyura:** They're staying with you, right? Be careful they don't turn into a murderer!

**Saika:** It's an old friend, though…

**Bakyura:** But if you haven't seen them in a while, they might've turned into a horrible person.

**Setton:** I agree there. You don't know how much they've changed.

**Saika:** There's no need to worry. He hasn't changed.**  
>Saika:<strong> I trust him.

**Setton:** Oh?

**Bakyura:** Ooh! Is Saika-san in love with this person?

**Setton:** Eh? Really?

**Saika:** Nnnno!

**Bakyura:** Don't be shy Saika-san! We've known each other all this time after all!

Kanra-san has entered the room.

**Kanra:** Hello again everybody!

**Saika:** Ah, I'll take my leave now.

Saika-san has left the room.

**Kanra:** Eh? Did Saika-san leave because of me?

**Bakyura:** -3- She ran away.

**Setton:** It's not because of you Kanra-san.

**Kanra:** You sure?

**Setton:** Yes. Saika-san was leaving anyways.

**Bakyura:** She's picking up a friend, apparently.

**Kanra:** Ooh, what kind?

**Setton:** I think a childhood friend?

**Bakyura:** No, no. It was a friend she hasn't seen in a while.**  
>Bakyura:<strong> Though we told her it could be dangerous.

**Kanra:** Saika-san can take care of herself, though.

**Setton:** That's true.

**Bakyura:** But there are madmen in the world!**  
>Bakyura:<strong> Oh.**  
>Bakyura:<strong> I gotta go. Time to go to work.

Bakyura-san has left the room.

**Setton:** That was fast.

**Kanra:** Well, since Bakyura-san works odd hours, I'm not surprised.

**Setton:** Oh, I'm being hailed.**  
>Setton:<strong> Sorry, I have to leave as well.**  
>Setton:<strong> We'll talk later.

**Kanra:** Buu. Alright then.**  
>Kanra:<strong> Good night.

**Setton:** Good night.

Setton-san has left the room.

**Kanra:** Well, since no one else is on, I'll leave as well.**  
>Kanra:<strong> Though I'm interested in hearing about this friend Saika-san is picking up.**  
>Kanra:<strong> Oh, well. Next time!

Kanra-san has left the room.  
>There is no one in the room right now.<p>

… … …

Sonohara Anri walked around the hallway with a worried look. She nearly passed by the screens when she finally noticed them. Gazing at them, she looked for the correct information they provided and was relieved to know that the plane was arriving on time. Or rather, it had arrived already.

Looking around to her sides, she tried to find the correct gate. After a few minutes, she ended up asking for directions and was guided to the international arrivals gate. She stood near the gate's exit and waited while the people began to walk through.

The person she was looking for wasn't there yet. She tried tip-toeing to look from further above but still wasn't able to see the person she was looking for. There was no helping it. She was now even more worried than before. However, soon enough, she spotted the person she had come to pick up.

"Ryugamine-kun!" Anri smiled and walked over to the older-looking Mikado, who had only grown about two inches since she had last seen him. Rather than taller, he seemed thinner. That worried her a bit.

"Hello Sonohara-san." Mikado greeted her as if the last time he'd seen her had been yesterday. It hadn't. But he did seem a bit surprised by her appearance. "You grew out your hair. It looks prettier now." He said with a soft smile as he grabbed a bit of her hair and saw it fall down slowly back to her.

Of course, he didn't notice the fact that Anri had frozen and had a blush on her face. The moment he did though, he backed away a bit and looked apologetic. "S-sorry… I got a bit carried away."

"N-no. I was only caught by surprise. Ryugamine-kun, you seemed different for a second. But you haven't changed, have you?" Anri asked with a smile and Mikado chuckled a bit.

"I thought I had. It's the reason I left after all." Mikado revealed clumsily, surprising Anri.

"You wanted to change?" Anri asked with a frown, taking a step forward to him.

"I wanted to grow." He replied honestly with a powerful gaze. Then, he smiled softly at her. "Shall we go? I can't wait to see this store of yours." Mikado asked while picking up his backpack with one hand and holding onto the luggage bag with his other.

"Ah, yes." Anri nodded and lead him to the rental car she had brought with her. At the very least, she was glad to see her friend again. He had left in a very quick way and had told no one until it was too late. When she read the lines left back then, she had been surprised. And so very lonely.

She never knew the whole reason for him leaving. All she knew was that he was gone. But that reason was incredibly important to Mikado and dangerous at the same time. Anri didn't know that. Yet it didn't matter to her at the moment.

Because Mikado was now back. Granted, it was nearly six years later, but he was back.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. The Return of Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse**  
>Chapter 2:<strong> The Return of Change 2**  
>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.**  
>Warning:<strong> Soft paced chapter. Other than that, nothing. But thought are _simple italics_.

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><p>Anri gave a soft smile in Mikado's direction once she saw him stretching in front of her shop. It had been three years now since she started up her father's old business and had expanded it to include more types of antiques, like books. The shop was well received in her area and she had gotten to know more people that came to her for the sole purpose of finding specific items. Somehow, it was hard work but relaxing at the same time.<p>

"It's really nice. The store, I mean. It has this refreshing feeling to it." Mikado mused with a smile as he grabbed his bags, refusing to let Anri carry anything heavy. "Is it really okay with you if I stay here a while?"

"It is. I already explained this to you, Ryugamine-kun. My place has an extra room, so you're welcome to stay as long as you need. Though you will have to pay me a fee." Anri explained with a slightly joking tone but led Mikado to the inside of the shop. "And thank you for the compliment." She added as she walked around the stands and shelves before reaching the back of the shop, where a staircase was located.

"No problem. So, where is the room?" Mikado asked suddenly as sleep started to overcome him.

"Oh, it's over here." Anri quickly led him to the empty room, which had been fixed a bit in a last minute attempt to turn it into a guest room. "I asked Kida-kun a few days ago to help me with this. I hope it's okay." She asked shyly after turning on the light and looking over to Mikado, noticing his slightly pale look. Almost immediately, Anri came closer to him to apologize. "I haven't told anyone yet!"

"Ah. Aah… Yeah, I'm sorry. I just know he's also going to be angry with me for suddenly leaving. Even though I know Masaomi will forgive me… Just like how you and I forgave him. But, I don't want to tell too many people right now." Mikado said with a saddened look and placed his bags inside the room.

"No, I understand. I'm just glad you asked for my help." Anri smiled with relief in her eyes. "The bathroom is down that hall. I'll show you the rest of the house tomorrow. You're tired, right?"

"Yes. Thank you again Sonohara-san. We'll talk some more in the morning." Mikado nodded and slowly closed the door to the guest room just as Anri left his sights.

Immediately after he was alone, Mikado dropped down on the floor with a sigh and held onto his body. He thought he had changed after all that time abroad. He had grown, he told himself. Coming back will be okay, he made himself believe. Everything will be okay, but he was simply lying to himself.

_No, I'll make it into reality_, Mikado nodded to himself, this time, believing in his words. "First thing's first." He opened one of his bags and grabbed a spare change of clothes along with a bar of soap before heading out to the bathroom. Even if he was tired, he told himself to clean himself up first. His long-awaited sleep would come second. Jet lag was a bit hazardous sometimes; it simply took too much out of him.

So while Mikado entered the bathroom, Anri was in her living room, catching up on some of her work. A few items had arrived earlier in the afternoon and she never got the chance to look over them. Both the books and the vase that arrived were in good condition, but the snow globe that one of her customers had been looking for got chipped on the way. She frowned at that and decided to place another order, this time with a different supplier. Her customer would have to wait a bit more for that item.

However, soon enough, the clock indicated it was too late and Anri never found what she was looking for, so she took a quick bath and headed to bed. Before going into her room, she noted that there was complete silence from Mikado's room, indicating that her friend was utterly dead to the world. She smiled, simply glad to know he was back, and closed the door to her room.

Early the next morning, Anri woke up to see that Mikado was in her kitchen cooking breakfast. At first, she thought it was a mirage but quickly remembered that she had picked him up the earlier night.

"What are you making?" Anri asked curiously, taking a few steps closer to him.

"French toast. I learned to make it while I was over there. It goes great with eggs so I'm making some as well. And um, sorry for suddenly using your kitchen without saying anything." Mikado apologized at the end with a shy look, causing Anri to chuckle a bit.

"There's no problem. It's been a while since anyone's made me breakfast. And, you're living here Ryugamine-kun, so I think you're entitled to using the kitchen. I'll help you clean up afterwards, alright?" Anri said as she got closer and looked for plates for both of them to use.

Without saying anything else, Mikado finished up what he was making and shared with Anri. After her first bite, Anri was complementing Mikado on his cooking. She wanted to set the mood a bit before beginning her line of questions.

"Did you enjoy your time abroad?" She began slowly, taking another bite of the French toast.

"Yes. It was nice. Oh, I never explained it to you, right? I was studying for a PhD over there. I'm going to start working officially at our old university by the next term. My old professor set it up after I informed him I was graduating. He's retiring this year so it works out. I'll be helping him out in the meantime while easing into my new job." Mikado explained with a smile as he grabbed hold of the soy sauce.

"Wasn't it scary, studying over there all alone?" Anri asked shyly, wondering if he missed her and their friend just as much as they had missed him. Suddenly breaking their trio after all they did to get them back together again was devastating to the ones left behind.

"A little bit. But there was something scarier here." Mikado revealed with a smile and took a sip of his milk in order to swallow his food better.

Fearing that Mikado would clam up if she asked what the scarier thing was, she moved the subject. "What happened to your old apartment? Did you end the contract there?"

"I did." Mikado nodded and continued, "I left whatever furniture I didn't need in exchange for ending the contract early and sent various things of mine back to my parents' place. All I took with me were my clothes and a few other things, like my schoolbooks."

"Oh. That explains it." Anri looked down, not noticing Mikado's confused look. "Kida-kun and I had gone to your apartment the day you left and found it empty, except for that furniture you spoke of. The landlord confirmed for us that you really had left and never left a forwarding address so we didn't know how to contact you. You never picked up your phone after all."

"Oh. I cancelled my contract when I landed and got a new one over there. Actually…" Mikado suddenly brought out his old phone and showed it to Anri. "I still have this but I need to get a new phone. Will you come with me today?" He asked her with a soft smile and was slightly surprised to see her shake her head.

"I have to open the shop. I'm sorry. If it's alright with you, shall we go this weekend? Or will you be too busy?" Anri asked curiously, noticing she had not asked him what he would be doing until he began work.

"Well, I have to meet with my old professor tomorrow. I think I'll be starting work around next week or so, but I won't be there every day. I think I can wait until the weekend." Mikado said with a smile, nodding to both Anri and himself. "In the meantime, should I help you with the shop? I can use my free time for that."

With a relaxed smile, Anri replied to him. "Sure. I'll be counting on your help then. Have you had experience with this type of store?"

"A bit. I worked in a book store for a while over there. And if you need me for international orders, I'll be useful as well!" Mikado looked proud of his language skills and shop skills, causing Anri to laugh a bit. At the very least, having him around would help her. And she didn't want him to leave her sight again.

As soon as both finished eating and cleaned up, Anri instructed Mikado on the rest of her house's structure, the shop's work hours and inventory. After that, she and Mikado prepared to open shop and waited until the appropriate time to open. All that was left was to give Mikado a set of spare keys to her place so he could come and go easily, though she had hoped for a second that if he depended on her to open and leave the shop, that it would cause Mikado to stay closer. She quickly discarded that thought, thinking it silly to begin with.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Other Changes 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse**  
>Chapter 3:<strong> Other Changes 1**  
>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.**  
>Warning:<strong> If you haven't made the counting, Izaya's 33ish. Russian is (inside parentheses).

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><p>Orihara Izaya walked along the path to Ikebukuro like normal. It had been a while since he came down this road for simple pleasure. The fact that he lived as an informant had never changed, nor would it for the remainder of his life, however short or long it may be. He seemed happy today for some reason. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it was 50% off day at Russia Sushi which meant he could get as much fatty tuna as he wanted, not that he was lacking in funds to buy it any other day.<p>

"Ah, Iza-Iza spotted!" The cheerful voice pointed to him and he noticed Karisawa, now Yumasaki, Erika running towards him with all her might. "Nice to see you again! You've been traveling recently, right?" She asked once she stopped right in front of him. Though she had wanted to tackle him, she knew the man would just step out of the way easily.

"That's right. There was something I was looking for." Izaya replied with a cool smile without stopping and saw Erika syncing her stride with his.

"You say that but it was probably another dirty trick you were conducting, right? You're so shy Iza-Iza! There's no need for you to run away from Shizu-chan!" Erika grinned mischievously, trying to contain her excitement.

"Believe what you want. And? Where's the rest of your gang? I don't see Dotachin anywhere nor that lovable husband of yours." Izaya asked with a sly grin. In the course of the years, Erika had gotten married to her pair, something that seemed perfectly normal to the rest. Of course, a few were surprised to hear the initial news of their engagement, and even more so of the wedding, but everyone had, by now, completely gotten used to them.

"Yumacchi is off doing a delivery and both Dotachin and Togusacchi are accompanying him. I was supposed to go too, but Yumacchi doesn't think I should be exposed to the so-called insanity of that new job, even though I'm not that big yet." Erika grinned, rubbing her slightly bigger belly. After three years of marriage, she had finally begun to create a family.

"Congratulations again. Have you decided on a name?" He asked, directing her movements to the Russia Sushi but quickly spoke again once he noticed her grin widening. If he didn't speak up now, he'd be filled with useless information on possible baby names taken from the many series Erika and her partner loved to watch. "You want to eat here as well? I'll pay today."

"Oh, no. I was supposed to be going to Anri-chan's shop. I was going to ask her if she managed to find that cradle I asked for." Erika slightly drooled at the memory in her mind and ran off without another word. It seemed she was excited about the item in question she wanted for her baby.

With a soft sigh, Izaya walked into the Russia Sushi but stopped when he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Quickly looking back, he didn't find what he thought he saw and began to think. _If that's who I think it was…_ Izaya couldn't stop himself from breaking out into a Cheshire grin. Even though he doubted his own eyes, he would still look into it. The prospect of his eyes telling the truth meant he now had a new source of fun.

… … …

"Chikage-san, let me rest…" Kida Masaomi dropped down to the floor with a tired look. He had been working since the previous night and had been doing cleaning well after closing time that suddenly being asked to help out his boss on more menial tasks utterly drained him.

"Come on, Kida! Only three more cases and you can go home!" Rokujou Chikage said with a grin while lifting up another case of drinks to bring to the store. No matter the occasion, it seemed as though his boss never ran out of energy or steam. The man was a walking chick magnet so that probably lifted his spirits somehow.

"You know I'm taking the day off after this, right? You work me to the bone, you slave driver." Masaomi tried joking around and took another case in his hands, following after Chikage very sluggishly. If he thought about his bed, he somehow felt better.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." Chikage smiled and passed him by to pick up the last case.

Sometimes, Masaomi hated his job. However, he sometimes loved it too. The man he called his boss was supposed to be a really strong guy, yet one way or another, the man had moved to Ikebukuro and opened up a host club. He bowed to no one so a lot of his customers, all females of course, loved to frequent his store.

"And we're done! Thanks Kida. You can go home now. I'll take care of the rest." Chikage said with a smile and returned to his office to work on additional things before hitting the sack as well. "Oh, and expect a nice bonus on Christmas."

"Thanks Boss." Masaomi grinned, glad to hear that last line, before changing and leaving the store. Bringing out his phone, he dialed the number of his lover. "Saki?" He called just as the other on the line answered. "I left the store just now. I'm going to sleep soon so call me when you get out of the nursery." With that, he said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

While taking in the sun, Masaomi walked to the station. He really wanted to go home soon and sleep.

… … …

Once Izaya walked back into the Russia Sushi, he saw one of the people he seriously didn't want to see that day. With a sigh, he ordered his food from the owner and sat down across from the younger man with a forced smile.

"Hello Aoba-kun." Izaya greeted his Raira kouhai and saw the look of disgust the boy gave him. Still, the younger continued to chew his food and swallowed before replying.

"Good day Izaya-san." Kuronuma Aoba forced himself to greet his sempai. For nearly six years now, both men have had a strained relationship. It all started after their shared pawn had left the country. From then on, Aoba decided to pursue a different career and somehow found himself the disciple of a certain underground doctor. "Shinra-sensei sent me some snacks. He asked me to send them to you sometime since he's worried you're not taking care of yourself."

"Oh? Then he and Celty are having a love-filled blast? Have they finally settled down or are they still touring Europe?" Izaya laughed while completely ignoring that line about how he didn't take care of himself. "Thanks Simon." He turned for a second to thank the man for the sushi.

"I heard that they were touring Russia this year. Simon got all excited earlier and was bugging me for their number so he can tell them what spots to visit." Aoba explained while continuing to eat his food. He just hoped to finish and leave. But given that it was Izaya in front of him, the man would surely find some way to keep him there.

He was right. "By the way, you knew I left for a while, so why is that you haven't asked me how my trip went? I thought Shinra asked you to look out for me whenever you could." Though he had originally decided to ignore the earlier comment, Izaya now used it to make fun of Aoba.

"I already know it went well. If it didn't, you'd be on my slab getting treatment or you'd be looking for Heiwajima-san to feel better. I think that after all these years you'd know how predictable you can be to others." Aoba replied bluntly, finishing another piece of sushi.

"The fact that you're so used to me leaves me wondering," At these first words, Aoba twitched for a second. Somehow, he knew that whatever Izaya would say was going to affect him somehow. "Don't you miss Mikado-kun these days? It's been six years by now."

"What's your point Izaya-san? Honestly, you and I both lost the same thing. And I say the same thing because I know we both thought of him as the same type of human; a pawn. The only difference is that I actually gave a crap about Mikado-sempai. Is that what you'd like me to say? I won't deny it either. I cared about sempai. At the very least, more than you did." Aoba said with a hostile look and stood up quickly. "I'll hand the snacks some other time." Without another word, Aoba stormed out of the building after he paid for his food.

Though his plan had been to say his thoughts and leave, hoping Izaya would simply leave him be, Aoba didn't know what the man thought of his words. And he didn't know what the man's reaction had been to them. But it wasn't like he wanted to stick around to find out. He already knew that hanging around Izaya always proved itself to be an annoyance.

"Oh, well. I was just wondering since I think he might be back. Anri-chan's so-called old friend is most likely him. Now, I wonder if I can find out this time why he left in the first place?" Izaya mused to himself with a grin, hoping to have his long awaited fun. After all, since the time the person in question had left, everything had gotten blander and much like it had been in the past.

Not like Izaya was bored. No matter how much time passed, he simply loved humans and would always try to understand them better, but the person in question always had his uses. And what excited Izaya the most was remembering the one thing he had noticed that no one else seemed to have realized. _Will he get angry if he finds out?_ Once more, Izaya was excited.

"(What are you planning on now?)" Before Izaya's thoughts could bloom a plan, Simon Brezhnev, sat down in front of Izaya. The only times he spoke in Russian to Izaya were when he was serious enough to get in his way. None of the times he stopped his fights would he ever speak in his native language.

"(What makes you think I'm planning on something? Just because I think Mikado-kun is back doesn't mean I'm going to bother him. In fact, I'm only hoping to welcome him back with open arms.)" Izaya gestured his line by spreading his arms wide before setting them back again on the table to eat. "(Don't you want to hold a welcome party too?)"

"(I don't think you should meddle in others affairs, though I know you won't listen. I know you're just lonely. That boy has left you. He's grown up so he's bored of having you play around with him. You should really respect his decision.)" Simon lectured Izaya as if he knew everything, but he was simply just trying to make Izaya realize that messing around with people, or rather humans, some more in particular than others, would leave him with a pretty bad burn.

"(But I just love humans, Simon. And besides, you don't know whether or not he's grown. I'm pretty sure that kid's still the same as always.)" Izaya grinned and stood up to leave. "Besides, if he has changed, I still want to see how much."

With that, Izaya left to conduct more business. Because business never changed; at least his never did.

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Other Changes 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 4:<strong> Other Changes 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Some revelations?

* * *

><p>"Excuse me! You here Anri-chan?" Erika came in with a smile to the shop and saw the person she was looking for behind the counter at the back of the store. "How's business coming along?" She greeted while walking closer to the younger woman she had known for a while now.<p>

"Everything is quiet today." Anri replied with a smile and brought a book out for her friend. "I found this the other day. It came with a lot I ordered a few weeks ago. I thought you might enjoy it."

"Ooh! You know my tastes very well, Anri-chan!" Erika approved of the book as she took it in her hands to ogle at. "But that's not why I came! Though I will buy this."

"I know. You were looking for a cradle, right? I managed to secure the one you wanted. But it'll take some time for it to arrive. It's being imported after all." Anri explained and took back the book that Erika had.

"At least I know you managed to get it. I was worried for a second that it might be too difficult. Even Yumacchi was worried." Erika gave a sigh of relief and took the stool Anri had left out for her. Since the older woman tended to visit her often, Anri had placed one there. However, she was planning on getting a different one for when Erika started getting bigger.

"Excuse me! Good afternoon! I'm from the car rental to pick up the car." A man suddenly came into the store with a slight bow to Anri. His smile was pleasant, much like a salesman.

"Oh, yes. I'll be right there." Anri nodded to the man and looked for the keys to the car in front of her shop in the pockets of her camel apron. Once she had them in her hands, she headed over to the man and handed them over. Erika watched her sign some paperwork and receive a receipt before ending the conversation with the man.

"I was wondering whose car that was out there. You rented it?" Erika asked once Anri arrived back behind the counter. Seeing her nod, Erika couldn't help but feel confused. "If you needed a car, you could've asked us to help you. Why the need for the rental?"

"Ah. It was a very personal matter. I'm sorry." Anri apologized to the woman, leaving her confused.

"Sonohara-san, I'm back." Just as she was speaking of him, in came the very personal matter that Anri had tried to keep quiet about. With a shocked look, Erika and Mikado stared at each other while Anri had already left inside her mind.

"Mikapuu~!" Erika ran towards him with the intention of tackling him but the younger man quickly moved to the side. "Ah." As Erika tripped and was about to fall, Mikado caught her hand and held her steady.

"Are you alright Karisawa-san? I'm sorry I moved out of the way. I didn't notice… Ah, um… I…didn't notice your…belly…" Mikado apologized and saw the woman grin widely.

"Oh, Mikapuu, you silly head! When did you get back?" Erika started questioning him while poking his forehead. "And it's not Karisawa anymore, it's Yumasaki. So call me Erika-sama, okay?"

"Eh? Yumasaki? Eh?" Mikado looked over to Anri with a confused look, causing Erika to poke him in the cheek now. Then with a surprised look, he took a step away from Erika. "Eh? Yumasaki? As in, Yumasaki-san? Since when?"

"Three years now. Oh, don't tell me, was that why Anri-chan needed the rental? She was picking you up? Oh my! You two are closer these days, aren't you? Wait… Does Kida-kun know you're back? Do I know first? Kyaa! This makes a perfect setting for Yumacchi's new novel he's secretly working on!" Before Erika could faint from excitement, Mikado quickly placed a hand on her mouth.

"I'm begging you Kari- No, I mean, Erika-san. Please keep this quiet for a while. I'm not about ready to proclaim to the rest I'm back." Mikado asked with a serious gaze but the woman simply pouted.

"Keeping this quiet means I'll have to lie to Yumacchi! And then to Dotachin and Togusacchi! And that's not good for the baby!" Erika explained, trying to get him to reason with her.

"I didn't want to have to resort to this…" Mikado sighed sadly and grabbed something from his bag. "You want this, right? It's really valuable to you, isn't it?" Mikado dangled the book in front of her face and saw it lit up.

"Why do you have that? Even _I_ don't have a copy!" Erika was about to bit Mikado's hand before he explained to her the truth.

"I know the author. Sonohara-san told me you liked this and frequented her shop so I prepared a safety measure in case you met me. Honestly, this does not feel good but if I don't keep you quiet Erika-san, the whole world might know I'm back." Mikado looked saddened for a second and Erika realized that something was really bothering him.

"I don't like this but fine!" Erika agreed and took the book in her hands. "So who are you hiding from? At the very least, let me know that."

Backed into a corner, Mikado swallowed his pride and uttered a single name. That name caused Erika to faint this time and nearly hit the floor. Anri, on the other hand, had decided to keep quiet, despite nearly falling as well.

… … …

With a grin in their faces, Orihara Mairu and Orihara Kururi stepped off the elevator while dragging with them an injured and unconscious man. This man looked completely tattered and beaten and was bleeding quite a bit.

"Oi, Aoba-kun! Open up!" Mairu called for her old friend and Raira classmate with a smile while knocking on his apartment door. After several minutes, he didn't seem to answer her.

"Out?" Kururi asked curiously while eying the unconscious man with them.

"Maybe." Mairu shrugged at her question and knocked on the door again, hoping for him to answer this time.

"Coming." Kururi looked back at the elevator, which was rising to their floor. "Follow?"

"I don't think that guy did. I trashed him pretty badly. He won't be up for a while longer." Mairu grinned but still prepared herself to attack any possible enemy.

However, the preparation was for naught as the very person they came looking for got off the elevator with someone both girls quickly recognized. "Shizuo-san!" They greeted him with a smile but Heiwajima Shizuo simply sighed before replying back a simple 'hello' to the two.

"Didn't I give you two a key? Why haven't you used it yet?" Aoba asked them while passing around them to open the door to his apartment. He made no mention on the unconscious man they had brought with them.

"Oh, right! I knew I forgot something! It just feels weird. We only moved with you last week after all!" Mairu replied with an aloof grin and followed Aoba in with her twin while Shizuo slowly lagged behind.

"Whatever. You know where to put him." Aoba ordered both girls while looking for a few towels to place in his sofa. He had received this apartment from his master so it had been a bit too big at the beginning but with the twins living with him now, it didn't feel as big as before. Especially since they loved to bring any injured worker from their bodyguard agency. "Shizuo-san, go sit in the couch. I'll handle your wound in a sec."

Shizuo nodded and waited for his turn to be treated. Mairu and Kururi watched Aoba and helped out a bit so after he was done with the unconscious man, he returned with a basic first aid kit for Shizuo, who had taken off his shirt to show the wound to Aoba.

"I'm so busy today. It probably has something to do with Izaya-san being back from Okinawa." Aoba sighed, not caring to notice that Shizuo got instantly irked at Izaya's name.

"Izaya's back in Ikebukuro? The flea!" Shizuo stood up and was about to leave when Aoba spoke up.

"Kururi."

"Roger."

Immediately, Kururi stepped in his way, causing the taller man to fall onto the floor on his back. Before Shizuo could do anything, Kururi jumped on him and placed a finger in his wound.

"Kururi!" Shizuo screamed, about to grab hold of the younger female when Mairu held him down by the shoulders. "Mairu! You want to protect your brother that badly?"

"No, no. You can kill Iza-nii as much as you like but let Aoba-kun treat you first. See, it's like this. Shinra-san worries you might overdo things and asked Aoba-kun to make sure you're always treated with basic first aid. But Aoba-kun can't just keep you still if you run off at the mention of Iza-nii and he's now our landlord so we have to help him whenever we can!" Mairu explained with a calming smile and saw Shizuo give up.

"Good. Now sit back on the sofa." Aoba ordered the older man, who complied with a silent nod.

Both Kururi and Mairu got off him and watched him sit down on the sofa. Aoba got to work and pretty soon had finished bandaging him up. He knew that Shizuo always only needed basic care thanks to his monstrous strength. But he noticed something odd. Shizuo, after treatment, still stayed on his couch, staring at an old wound on his hand.

"_My, my Shizu-chan. I never pegged you for an ally of justice._"

"_You flea! Don't involve others into this!_"

Clenching his hands into a fist, Aoba could only sigh when he noticed blood being drawn from them. Now he had something else to bandage. _How stupid can this guy be? What's he thinking of that could piss him off this much? Even Izaya-san doesn't get this sort of reaction_, Aoba thought to himself.

However, he was mostly right as Shizuo had, by now, stopped thinking of the annoying flea. All that came to his mind was a single sentence.

"_I can't._"

**To Be Continued…**


	6. UnChange 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 5:<strong> Un-Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Izaya being Izaya.

* * *

><p>"How was it abroad? You learned a lot right?" Mikado's professor asked with a smile after inviting him into his office. To Mikado, this place hadn't changed and he felt a bit bad about coming in, considering the last time he stood here was when he gave his professor the confirmation for his study abroad.<p>

"It was very educating. The process for teaching gave me a lot to think about." Mikado responded with a smile, taking the tea his professor offered to him with thanks.

"Great. I was hoping it would broaden your thoughts on teaching. You see, we don't have that many teachers who have studied abroad and come back to teach us on other countries teaching methods." The professor explained with a laugh, as if Mikado had been used as a spy. "But I'm still glad you took the offer. There were students who enjoyed your tutoring methods so that professor's offer came at the right moment. The point is that you used it to its full potential."

Mikado nodded, remembering his experiences from his time abroad. "And how have you been, sensei?"

"Oh, me? Well, I didn't want to retire but my wife wants me home now so your return really helped me out. In other words, I'm great! Thanks!" The professor joked with a grin, causing Mikado to stifle his chuckle.

With the small talk over, the professor got right down to business. "You'll start work next week. I just need you to sign this and go through the process of getting your new ID. This is my teaching schedule for this trimester. Your official job will be as my assistant for the time being. Once I retire at the end of the year, you'll be taking over my classes but I hope you'll start writing proposals for new ones." At that, he winked at Mikado playfully.

"You'd like me to teach some other techniques, right?" Mikado asked as he took all the papers his professor handed him and signed the important ones before trying to hand it back.

"That's right. And you take that over to the head of the department. He's been waiting anxiously for new teachers. I think he'll be taking you to get your ID." The professor explained without taking back the papers he had handed to Mikado.

"Oh, I see. Alright then." Mikado nodded and turned around to leave but his professor stopped him.

"By the way, that thing you had your mind on back then. Did you resolve it?" He asked worriedly since the time in question had been an important one yet Mikado's mind had wandered.

"Ah, actually, I haven't. I'm sorry for making you worry as well." Mikado apologized to his professor with a slight bow. He was actually embarrassed that the professor even remembered a tiny detail like that.

"No, I was just curious. But you should take the chance to finally resolve it since you're back. I know what kind of student you were so I don't want you to destroy your career if you have unresolved business." The professor explained to him and Mikado thanked him for his concern before leaving the office. What the professor had told him made sense but Mikado was actually still a bit scared to do anything.

_I shouldn't be though; I've gotten stronger, haven't I?_ Mikado thought to himself as he pressed his free hand on top of his left arm. The wound under his shirt was barely noticeable and it was the incident which caused it that always reminded him of what scared him.

"_You can't just ignore what happened!_"

… … …

_This is the worst._ Those were Mikado's thoughts as he stepped out of the train station to come face-to-face with none other than his childhood friend and his childhood friend's lover. They had been on their way to see a movie and were very surprised to see Mikado, one more than the other.

"Ah, Mikado!" Masaomi greeted him with a smile as he slowly stepped towards Mikado. His lover, Mikajima Saki, simply stood by, watching what was happening.

"Ma… Masao- Guh!" Mikado held in his cough after being hit right in the stomach by what should have been his best friend. Of course, said best friend was incredibly pissed at him for suddenly disappearing six years ago so Mikado could not blame him for the act. "Do… Do you feel better?"

"Not at all!" Masaomi replied with a bright grin and gave Mikado a thumbs-up while saying, "So let me hit you a few more times to get it out of my system!"

"You want to kill me?" Mikado asked surprised, taking a step back away from his best friend.

"Of course not, Mikado! You're my best friend! I only want to beat you to death!" Mikado froze at those words, fearing they might actually come true. _Isn't that the same thing?_ He still asked himself, despite not yet having answered Masaomi's casual comment.

"I'm sorry!" Mikado bowed the 90 plus degrees to convey how sorry he was and waited for Masaomi to reply or to actually beat him to death.

What he didn't expect was for Masaomi to burst out laughing. He fearfully looked up to see Masaomi truly laughing and turning his gaze at his lover. "What'd I tell you? This guy's nothing more than a late bloomer! He can't even stand up to me!"

"That's mean, Masaomi. Your friend is regretting his actions. You should forgive him already." Saki stifled a chuckle while pointing to Mikado. At the very least, Saki didn't care about Mikado disappearing for six good years and not mentioning he was back in Japan. Mikado suddenly realized that this person had probably not changed at all.

"I know, I know Saki." Masaomi smiled at her happily and turned to Mikado, now more at ease. "So? When'd you get back?"

"Two nights ago." Mikado replied easily and Masaomi made the connection to the chat from that time.

"Anri-chan was in on this? That's just mean! How long have you two corresponded? And who else knows you're back?" Masaomi asked with a pout while holding onto Saki for comfort.

"I only started corresponding with her two weeks ago. I'm selfishly staying at her place." At those words, Masaomi broke into a grin but before he said anything, Mikado continued. "And only Kari- I mean, Erika-san knows since she caught me off guard, just like you did."

"Erika-san knows first than I do? That's not fair! You should've come to me the moment you arrived back! You see that Saki? He doesn't love me at all!" Masaomi pouted again while holding onto Saki tighter for comfort. His sense of humor seemed intact of change to Mikado. Saki, on the other hand, kept comforting Masaomi by petting him on the head.

"Since we're all together, why don't we have lunch as well?" Saki suddenly suggested with a soft smile. "We can invite Anri-san too. Russia Sushi?"

"No! Not that!" Mikado's sudden scream surprised them and he recovered to explain. "I just got back. And that'll be there even a week from now, so since we're all together, why not splurge a bit?"

Breaking into another grin, Masaomi spoke up. "Ah, then that means you're paying, right? Isn't that great Saki? We get to eat fine food!" Without letting Mikado take those words back, Masaomi began dialing a number from his phone. It was a phone call to Anri.

With a sigh, Mikado went along with them and they headed to Anri's shop to pick her up first. None of the three ever noticed Izaya eyeing them with a wide grin.

"Found you Mikado-kun." He spoke to himself in a sing song manner while taking a sneak photo of Mikado from the side. That picture would have its uses soon. _Oh, so very soon._

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Other Changes 3 to UnChange 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 6:<strong> Other Changes 3 to Un-Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Beginning of fast pacing.

* * *

><p><strong>Setton:<strong> I might be coming back next month or the one after it.

**Saika:** Really? That's wonderful.

**Bakyura:** Now if only Tanaka-san would return as well.

**Setton:** You still miss Tanaka-san right?

**Bakyura:** It's not fair! -3-  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Setton-san went off on a lovey-dovey honeymoon for two years and still remained on.  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Tanaka-san never did the same. So lonely.

**Saika:** Maybe he can't from America.

**Bakyura:** Eh~? But I can open American websites just fine~!  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Besides, if he still has his phone account, he should be able connect.

**Saika:** Ah, that's true.

**Setton:** Well, he might someday surprise us and be online all of a sudden.

Kanra-san has entered the room.

**Bakyura:** You know it's freaky that you said that and Kanra-san just appeared.

**Setton:** Coincidence of life?

**Kanra:** Oh? Is there a conversation going on that I'm not a part of?  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> …  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Yes, there is!

**Bakyura:** Haha! That's because we don't want you to be a part of it!

**Kanra:** How mean!

**Saika:** I wanted to ask, did Setton-san enjoy herself on the honeymoon?

**Setton:** Yes, I did. I'll be bringing souvenirs for a few friends so I'm sorry I can't give you all any.

**Bakyura:** Nah, It's better if you don't. I'd just lose it in the mess I call home.  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Sweet, lovely home~!

**Saika:** Thank you for the thoughts.

**Kanra:** Seriously, please stop ignoring me! You're all being heartless!

**Bakyura:** That's because Kanra-san doesn't want to grow up.

**Kanra:** What are you talking about? I'm forever 21!

**Saika:** Haha.

**Setton:** I'm glad someone here doesn't seem to change.

**Kanra:** I feel like that's an insult!

**Bakyura:** Because it is.

**Setton:** Eh? No, it's not!  
><strong>Setton:<strong> Please don't feel like I meant that badly, Kanra-san.

**Kanra:** The one who hasn't changed is Setton-san.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Most definitely.

**Bakyura:** But she's still a better person than Kanra-san.

**Kanra:** Would you please stop that?

… … …

"Sonohara-san? Are you done with work?" Mikado came into Anri's room after knocking. He seemed a bit nervous about coming in but Anri welcomed him with a smile.

"Yes. I'm just talking with a few friends." Anri explained and saw the tray of hot tea Mikado brought for her. He set it down on her desk once he was close enough and stood by her side. "Thank you."

"Ah, is that the chat room? How nostalgic. I haven't gotten on even once since I left." Mikado said with a smile and read a few lines from the screen. "Eh? Celty-san isn't in Ikebukuro?" He suddenly asked, noticing that part, rather than the fact that they were all still pretending not to know each other, even though most of their online names had been revealed to each other.

"Oh no. Celty-san and Kishitani-sensei left Japan on a honeymoon two years ago." Anri explained and saw him freeze at those words. It seemed like he didn't expect that to come out of Anri's mouth. It was as if he really was learning something new every day.

As Mikado sat down on the floor waiting for an explanation, Anri turned around and said her goodbyes before disconnecting. With that out of the way, she sat on the floor as well, facing Mikado. Before she spoke though, she took a sip of the tea. Every sentence she uttered caused a reaction from Mikado.

"Two years ago, Celty-san found out that Izaya-san was the one hiding her head." His mouth dropped open. "So, as expected, she got really angry and nearly destroyed Ikebukuro and Shinjuku trying to get even with him." Then he closed it and nearly turned away in fear from imagining the scene. "Eventually, Heiwajima-san was the one who calmed her down." At this, Mikado twitched a bit. "So after that, Kishitani-sensei dragged her away along with the head and said 'we're going on a honeymoon'." And eventually, Mikado's mouth dropped open again in surprise.

"Shinra-san is amazing. He just calmly left everything to the officials, didn't he?" Mikado sighed once he regained his composure. Anri simply chuckled, placing the cup on the floor, and smiled towards Mikado to reassure him that everything ended up okay.

Of course, she soon remembered something she had said. "I'm sorry Ryugamine-kun. I said something thoughtlessly." She apologized while placing a hand on his.

"No, it's okay. It's just like my professor said, I'll have to resolve the matter or I could end up jeopardizing my job if I think too much on it." Mikado spoke with a smile and tried to reassure her that he would be okay and that somehow, his situation would resolve itself in a good way.

… … …

"I just got back and this is how you treat me?" Izaya, who always seemed to enjoy playing around with Shizuo, no matter the situation, asked with a sly grin though he knew Shizuo's anger was justified. They hated each other mutually and would do so until the day they both died. And even then, should there even be an afterlife for them, they'd still hate each other.

"I already said I don't want you here so get the hell out of Ikebukuro!" Shizuo screamed at Izaya, ready to kill him should he have the opening to. Even going to jail seemed like a reward if he ever managed to kill Izaya.

"Come on Shizu-chan, I'm here to do you a favor today! I mean it this time!" Izaya tried to reason with his nemesis, not knowing that the simple act of talking to Shizuo is what drove the former bartender insane. However, it was most likely that Izaya already knew that and just simply chose to ignore it.

"All your favors amount to getting me angry and pissing me off! Why would I listen to you anyways?" Shizuo gave the street sign in his hands another swing, hoping to hit the intended target this time.

However, Izaya avoided it as if it wasn't even there in the first place. "I still remember you being very pissed off about this particular subject so I thought it might make you happy to know the news. After all, no one noticed how depressed you were six years ago." At those last words, Shizuo froze in place. Somehow, it was as if he knew what Izaya was about to say. "Lookie here Shizu-chan! You were looking for him, weren't you? Well, he's back from abroad!"

Shizuo stared at Izaya's phone, in particular, the photo on the screen. Because that was a person that Izaya shouldn't know that Shizuo knew well. Though then again, they were simply friends. That is, that's what Shizuo originally thought of them as. If not for the fact that _that_ happened between them. Shizuo was abandoned, that's what he believed. All he knew was that the person in question left without saying a word to him.

And that, as Izaya said, depressed him. But also actually pissed him off a lot.

**To Be Continued…**


	8. Other Changes 4

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 7:<strong> Other Changes 4  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Twins being twins.

* * *

><p>Aoba relaxed into his bathtub. The hot water seeped into his muscles and he could feel himself getting lighter. This was his ritual for whenever he had worked too hard or had been stressed too much during the day and needed something to relax himself with. He always felt better once he was done. Today, sadly, was an exception.<p>

"Come on Kuru-nee! You need to get that blood off of you!" Mairu's voice broke his silence and he quickly looked to his right to see the twins enter the bathroom. Almost immediately, he felt like screaming at them but remained frozen in place.

"Ah." Were Kururi's simple thoughts once she noticed Aoba in the tub. Mairu, on the other hand, broke into a grin before saying anything. Neither tried to hide their exposed bodies or the blood on them.

"Oh, Aoba-kun! You sly perverted dog! You wanted to see Kuru-nee and me naked this much?" She asked, while hiding her grin and edging him on with her free hand. "Don't try to deny it; you were caught red handed after all!"

"You do realize you two were the ones who just came in, right? Technically, you two wanted to see me naked." Aoba replied with a frown, deciding to ignore both women.

"Hold on! You're just going to ignore this beautiful body Kuru-nee has? You're impotent right? Or is it gay? How sad. Should I fix you up, dear landlord?" Mairu came forward to him and bent down a bit to see him better. Her exposed chest was right in his eyesight but Aoba looked away and got further into the tub.

"You're not in my range, Mairu." Aoba replied and closed his eyes. He told himself he would relax and not even the twins barging into his ritual would ruin it.

"Kuru-nee! Attack!" Mairu ordered her older twin with a wide grin.

"Roger." Said twin replied with a nod and jumped into the tub with Aoba.

"What the hell are you doing?" Aoba screamed, finally noticing all the blood on her. He was never worried since the twins had never gotten hurt and would never get hurt since they were as agile as Izaya when the latter would play around with Shizuo. But he was surprised since she looked really scary with all the blood on her. "Just take a damn shower and clean yourself up!"

"Warm." Kururi replied and dropped down on Aoba's chest, relaxing her muscles as well.

"Hey!" Both Aoba and Mairu screamed in surprise.

"Good." Kururi explained with a soft smile and closed her eyes. In a matter of seconds, she fell asleep.

"Is it that relaxing? I'll have to try it some other time." Mairu said and stood up straight. "Don't you dare do anything to Kuru-nee!" She warned and turned around to use the shower.

_You're the one who ordered her to get in._ Aoba sighed and looked down on Kururi. It was never his intention to get this close to the twins but they always hung around him so when they lost their lease on their apartment, he ended up offering them his free room. Despite their my-pace personalities, the two were probably the only real friends he had.

So it was never his intention to feel anything for them, but it was just a slight feeling. _Maybe I do feel something_, Aoba thought to himself. But he was already in no position to make a move. All three were at a complete standstill. And it was thanks to the twin's beloved idol.

… … …

Masaomi was in the middle of work when a familiar face came in. He immediately frowned a bit when he saw the person. Unlike Masaomi, he was famous and had really good looks. He even drew in more girls than his boss ever could, yet even Chikage approved of him as a worthy and reachable rival. But he was never one to step into a shop like the one Masaomi worked in. No matter how well acquainted they were.

"Good evening." Hanejima Yuuhei, or rather Heiwajima Kasuka, greeted Masaomi from behind his sunglasses. It was way too suspicious to wear them at night and indoors but that just helped Kasuka in driving away any person nearby.

"Good evening! Would you like a seat, sir?" One of the other hosts greeted Kasuka with a smile, not realizing who Kasuka was, and simply focusing on the fact that a male customer had come in. It wasn't rare, but it was sometimes a pain. Though they always left good tips.

"Ah, I'll take this." Masaomi intervened and smiled to Kasuka. "Good evening, Kasuka-sama. Would you like a private table or a seat at the bar? If you're looking for company, I'll try to do my best to entertain you." He greeted him like a true host and saw his coworker leave with a small frown but a relieved sigh.

"No, it's okay. I'm looking for brother and Ruri-san. It seems she went out to hand him something and hasn't come back yet." Kasuka explained in his deadpan expression.

Masaomi sighed at those words and scratched the back of his head. "You can usually find Heiwajima-san if you follow the mayhem and destruction. Though, I heard something strange today. It seems he hasn't gotten really angry at all these past two days."

"Yes, I heard. Tom-san mailed me about that. He's worried about brother being sick so Ruri-san had gone to get him some medicine." Kasuka nodded and finished his explanation.

"Ah, I get it. She's worried about her brother-in-law. Did you try his place? Wait, knowing you, you've already tried all the usual places." Masaomi went into thought and nearly fried his brain. "Sorry, can't help you. I got no idea. I'm not really that much of a friend to Heiwajima-san. Sorry."

"No, it's alright. I'll see you some other time. Perhaps at the nursery?" Kasuka turned around to leave but glanced at Masaomi to ask him that.

"Yeah, if I have a day off." Masaomi laughed and saw him leave. Kasuka had been referring to Saki's workplace which is how they had gotten acquainted in the first place. That was one of life's biggest surprises to him.

… … …

"Ruka, don't go too far!" Hijiribe Ruri, legally Heiwajima on paper, called out to her four year old son as she watched him go down the stairs of the small apartment building she and Shizuo sat in. When she finally found Shizuo, thanks to her son's good sense of smell, he had been sitting here lost in thought.

She was a bit worried about him and simply decided to keep quiet until Shizuo spoke to her. Her clothing was a bit light, but she had wanted to remain inconspicuous for a while. She was still an actress who wanted to respect Shizuo's choice of remaining unknown as Kasuka's brother to the media.

"A friend lived here. He doesn't anymore." Shizuo began to explain to her, knowing she was simply worried about him and didn't really require an explanation. "Supposedly he came back but he hasn't said a word to me."

"Did you two have a fight before he left?" Ruri asked, trying to understand a bit.

"A fight? Maybe that was it. I was a bit angry about that. But I pushed too much and then waited for too long." Shizuo rambled a bit and Ruri looked thoughtful before answering to his comments.

"You thought you were wrong but are still angry he left without saying anything? Maybe you should give it some time?" She offered her opinion but gave a second one at the same time. "Or you could pursue him. Kasuka-san forced himself on me so we ended up together thanks to his tenacity. If you're brothers, don't you think you also have that kind of tenacity?"

"I don't want that kind of relationship!" Shizuo suddenly yelled at her. "It's not that kind…" He told her but she felt it was something he forced himself to say. Or maybe he really did mean it. She wasn't sure anymore. Her mind was a bit more focused on keeping her son in eye range.

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Movements for Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 8:<strong> Movements for Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Erika-sama being awesome. And phone calls are [inside brackets].

* * *

><p>"Erika-san knows something I don't, doesn't she?" Masaomi brought his face to inches of Mikado's when they all got together on Sunday afternoon. "Erika-san KNOWS something I don't, DOESN'T she?" He repeated again with a glare and pointed to the smirking woman. "Look at her! She knows something I don't!"<p>

"Don't get so angry, Kida-kun! You'll get the baby upset!" Erika tried to calm him down but her smile wouldn't seize and that just agitated the host more.

"That only happens if it's the mother feeling the emotion." Saki explained calmly to Erika, who seemed surprised to hear that but expected it from a woman working in a nursery.

"Should we go in?" Anri held her own type of my-pace and turned to Mikado with a smile.

"Oh. Sure." Mikado quickly escaped with Anri into the store, followed by the three behind him. The moment they went in, Mikado felt a sigh coming. There were too many models of cell phones lately so having to choose one would be somewhat of a pain.

And thus, the search for a good phone for Mikado began. His friends kept suggesting something that suited their tastes but eventually, Mikado had decided on one that Anri picked. It was a flip phone of a pale blue color that somehow bordered on grey.

"Ah, I get it! It's favoritism! Sensei is playing the favoritism card! He loves Anri-chan so of course he'll pick her choice!" Masaomi said with a pout, ignoring how Erika seemed to be in pain from all the laughter. Saki had to go to her and calm her down; otherwise she might've really stopped breathing.

"Masaomi… You do know I'm going to become a teacher. I can't just choose something like that." Mikado pointed to the bright neon yellow phone Masaomi had picked. For some reason, it reminded him of a certain type of car he'd seen abroad various times.

"Then you'd just ignore your best friend's fashion advice for the sake of sticking to the old ways?" Masaomi turned his head away, hoping to get some pity points from Mikado. "You're going to be teaching younger kids! Up-to-fashion-codes younger kids! They'll laugh at you my friend! They will!"

"Masaomi, I understand." Mikado sighed and stepped towards Masaomi with a soft smile.

"Oh? You understand, my friend? You've finally seen the light?" Masaomi turned back to Mikado with a few tears in his eyes. A floor salesman hurried to look for a chair for Erika, who was almost hyperventilating.

"Never in my life will I choose your outdated fashion sense." Mikado replied with a thumbs-up and walked over to another salesperson to work out the details.

"How cruel Mikado! To think those words would actually come from your mouth!" Masaomi continued his joke while Anri tried to cheer him up, thinking he really was feeling depressed.

After the whole show at the store, Erika led them to a small bar hidden from view the other three recognized. Without saying anything to Mikado, especially Anri, who believed this to be okay, they all entered the bar. Mikado was curious why they had come here but froze once he saw the three people inside he knew well.

"Ryugamine?" Kadota Kyohei stood up in shock but his surprise lasted as long as the one next to him spoke up.

"Mikado-kun! How was America?" Yumasaki Walker called out and walked over to Mikado with the same grin he usually wore back when Mikado was still around. Walker seemed to act as if Mikado had simply been gone on a vacation.

"Eh? Ah… It was good…" Mikado replied slowly and looked over to Erika in shock.

"Well, you see. Yumacchi figured it out. He noticed I was hiding something so I told him I'd show him today!" Erika replied slyly and walked over to her husband, giving him a small peck on the cheek. Then, with all the energy she normally displayed, she turned to Kyohei. "Are you surprised Dotachin?"

"…Extremely." Kyohei replied honestly and Mikado turned to him.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything to you all as well!" He apologized and looked towards Walker, who replied easily to his worries.

"You were going on a journey of fulfillment, right? No, I understand. It's a journey every man must take at least once!" Walker seemed to be enjoying himself and noticed Masaomi placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right, Yumasaki-san! Totally right! Mikado's finally grown up into a man!" With those words, he walked over to the bar. "Two rum and coke!"

"You're seriously asking for alcohol this early in the afternoon?" Togusa Saburou asked with a confused gaze.

"Hey! I'm used to alcohol! And it's not like I'm going to drink a lot! I just like what you make! Come on Togusa-san! I'm a paying customer, aren't I?" Masaomi pouted and everyone turned their attention onto him. Any tense feelings that Mikado or Kyohei felt were immediately dispelled.

"You've been good then?" Kadota asked and led them to a U-table where all but Saki and Masaomi sat.

"Yes. I'm sorry if I worried you." Mikado apologized again with a frown but felt Kyohei ruffling his hair as if he were a kid.

"No, the important thing is that you're okay." Kyohei smiled and noticed Erika signaling Anri for something. "What are you doing?" He turned to the pregnant woman with a curious look.

"Now Anri-chan!" Erika suddenly screamed and Anri fumbled as she took Mikado's phone from his pocket and threw it to Erika.

"Ah! My phone!" Mikado was surprised by their actions and was confused why they had just stolen his new phone. "Would you please give it back?" He asked the woman with a sad look.

"Not yet!" Erika grinned while pressing a lot of buttons on it.

"Are you adding all our numbers?" Walker asked while trying to look at what she was doing but saw her nod in agreement.

"I guess that's okay then…" Mikado seemed a bit worried but let Erika do her thing. It shouldn't take that long anyways. It was only Anri, Masaomi, Saki, Erika, Walker, Kyohei and Saburou's numbers she was adding. At least, that's what Mikado believed. Until he saw Erika place his phone on her ear.

"Hi~!" Erika spoke up with a wide grin and everyone looked at her confused. _Who is she calling?_, they all wondered. "This is Erika-sama calling to give this number to you with all her love! Whose number is what you're probably wondering, right? Of course, that is Mi-ka-do-kun!" At these words, Mikado and Anri paled while the rest were just confused as to why she was giving Mikado's number to a stranger. _Is it a stranger anyways?_

As soon as she had said his name, Erika had hung up the phone and handed it back to Mikado, who slowly and fearfully took it in his hands. "Why?" He asked her, a sad puppy-dog look in his eyes.

"For fun?" Erika cutely replied, titling her head to the side for a second. "I also saved the number beforehand in case you need it." She winked at him and before anyone could say anything else, Masaomi came to the table, along with Saki, with different drinks for them all.

So for the moment, none of them knew what exactly had happened and decided not to pursue the matter until Mikado was ready. The last thing they wanted was for Mikado to leave again.

… … …

[Of course, that is Mi-ka-do-kun!] The line hung up right after that. He was confused for a second. But then he nearly crushed his phone. _That flea was telling the truth_, he thought, almost losing it. After calming himself a bit, his thoughts turned to one thing only. What should he do with the number now that he had it?

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Confronting the Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 9:<strong> Confronting the Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> More fast pacing.

* * *

><p>"Professor, I've brought the materials." Mikado came into the classroom just before class was about to start. He seemed in good spirits now that he was working.<p>

"Huh? Professor, when did you get an assistant?" One of the few students that had arrived early asked with a curious look towards Mikado. None of them had heard any news about this so they found it odd.

"Ah, I guess I can mention it now, though I was hoping you'd ignore Ryugamine-kun for a while." The professor grinned and a student that was sitting by the window came running towards them.

"Ryugamine-kun? As in the famous Ryugamine-sempai that all the professors in the department go crazy about? The one that went to America to study?" The student asked with an admiring look.

"Yes, that Ryugamine-kun." The professor nodded and the few students near them went crazy.

"This is awesome! Will you tell us about your experiences? Sempai, how was it over there?" They all asked at the same time, surprising Mikado and leaving him unable to utter a single word.

"Hey, now. He's still only my personal assistant. You can ask him anything after class when he's free." The professor interrupted them all and brought their attention to him.

"Still? Does that mean he's going to be teaching us as well as a professor soon?" The students got excited again by the news, even though neither Mikado nor the professor had said anything. "When do you start teaching class? Can we take your classes when you do?"

"Ah… You'll have to talk to the professor for that." Mikado managed to say and all eyes fell upon their professor.

"Since I'm retiring at the end of the year, he'll be taking over all my classes. So be good to him and sit down. I want to start class now." The professor simply said and ordered them to sit. They all pouted but obeyed as Mikado sat in a corner for when he was needed. "Now that we're all here, let's start with the topic from last week…"

As the professor began his lecture, the students remained quiet but kept glancing at Mikado every so often. Some noticed him bring out his cell phone and checking it before putting it away every five minutes. Eventually, they began to wonder whether someone was calling Mikado before Mikado put it away one final time, never looking at it again during the rest of the class.

… … …

"Is this a bad time, Ryugamine-kun?" Anri called out to her friend with a shy look after approaching Mikado. Currently, he was being surrounded by a group of students who only kept asking questions about his study abroad and for help in their studies.

"Ah, Sonohara-san! Well, excuse me. I have a date with her." Mikado flashed a bright smile in their direction and quickly made his escape with Anri in tow.

As they got farther away, Anri still managed to hear their comments. "Eh~? No way! He has a girlfriend? Even after being abroad? That's so cool!"

"Um, I think they got the wrong impression about us…" Anri tried to speak up but Mikado shushed her with a smile, as if there was nothing wrong with that. Once they were farther away, they sat down on a bench and Mikado sighed comfortably. "Were those students of yours?"

"Huh? Oh, no. They're the professor's. But they're very interested in knowing about America, I hope, and wouldn't stop pestering me. I think if you hadn't come I'd be the cause of a mob fight." Mikado spoke lightly about that, as if there hadn't been any problem whatsoever.

"I see. I'm glad I was able to help at least. Ah, this is your lunch. You left it at home. I tried calling your phone but it wouldn't connect." Anri seemed worried about that and even more so when she noticed Mikado flinch.

But the boy quickly recovered and brought out his phone. Anri saw him turn it on, realizing that he had it off the whole time. As Mikado gave a sad smile at the phone, he explained, "He was calling. But I still don't know what to say so I couldn't pick and decided to just turn it off. Sorry."

Anri placed a hand on his and smiled as softly as she could. "It's alright. Just take it a day at a time. I'm more worried about you than the issue at hand."

"Thanks Sonohara-san. And I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that. It was the first thing I could think of when you came." Mikado smiled and lowered his gaze while blushing lightly. He felt bad about having done that to her.

"No, it's alright. And I did say I was glad to be of help. But it reminded me, I guess Ryugamine-kun has changed a bit. It reminded me a bit of Kida-kun." Anri chuckled lightly and Mikado felt embarrassed by those words. To have been told that he was similar to his best friend would have been a compliment if not for the personality said friend had. Mikado felt a bit conflicted on that part.

"Do you need to go back to the shop or would you like to stay a bit?" Mikado decided to offer in the meantime but saw Anri shake her head in response.

"I'll go back. Being here with Ryugamine-kun is nice but I should tend to the shop. I left Erika-san alone there after all." Anri replied with a smile and walked away.

As soon as she was gone, Mikado sighed tiredly. He turned around to leave and jumped when he heard his cell phone ring. With a frown, he looked to see who it was and quickly sent it to voicemail. _I guess even after six years, I'm still scared of apologizing…_ Mikado's thoughts left his heart hurting and he walked back to his professor's office to eat in peace.

… … …

Once the day was over, Mikado gave a sigh of relief. He had been hassled every free hour by every single class of his professor's. At the moment, he was resting in his professor's couch as said man prepared them some tea.

"You handled yourself well, Ryugamine-kun." The professor commented with a smile and handed him a cup of tea.

"Thank you. I just hope they'll get over it by the end of the week. I know they're obsessed with me right now simply because of the rumors." Mikado sighed again before sipping some of the tea. He was referring more to the legend of 'Ryugamine-sempai' rather than any rumor but felt the need to call it that as rumors usually went away after a time.

A knock was heard from the other side of the door before the professor could make any joke regarding Mikado's comment. The older man stood up and walked over to the door, sliding it open. "Yes? Was there something you needed from me?" The professor seemed to be covering for Mikado in case they had come to pester him especially since the offender wasn't someone he knew.

"Oh, I'm not here to see you. It's your assistant I'm looking for." Mikado paled when he heard the voice and quickly looked over to the door. As surprised as he was, he should've known that it was only a matter of time before an information broker like Izaya knew he was back in Ikebukuro.

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Confronting the Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 10:<strong> Confronting the Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> More fast pacing! (And that at the end is not going to be a pairing!)

* * *

><p>Making up an excuse to his professor, Mikado exited the room with Izaya. The two men walked silently as Mikado led Izaya away from the university grounds to a nearby park. Once there, Mikado confronted Izaya with a smile in place.<p>

"How did you know I was back?" He calmly asked, wondering if the man had been keeping an eye out for his movements since he had left for America.

"Oh, by pure luck!" Izaya proclaimed with a grin. "Honestly, it was a pure coincidence but I put two and two together. After all, Anri-chan doesn't have too many close friends that she would pick up from the airport. Actually, there's only you. And after that, all I had to do was keep a close eye on her shop until, lo and behold! You appeared out of her shop. I must say, the years have done you a bit of good. Letting your hair grow a bit makes you look a bit more mature."

As Izaya laughed, Mikado held his tongue in check. The last thing he wanted to do was cause this man to do something to him that he did not need. It had happened a lot in the past. After all, his nightmare began not when he was in high school, but soon after he graduated.

"_Don't involve others into this!_"

"_Thank you._"

The memory lingered in his mind and caused his heart to ache.

"Are you thinking about someone, Mikado-kun?" Izaya's cold voice brought him back to the situation at hand. Then, at that very moment, his cell phone began to ring. Mikado didn't have to pick it up or look at it since he figured out who it probably could be. But he knew that picking it up at that moment would be dangerous. "Oh, I know who it is."

Mikado tried to remain normal but refused to break eye contact with the man in front of him. "Izaya-san, you have a lot of free time, don't you?" He decided to ignore his phone for the time being and try to finish his conversation with the informant.

"Of course I do! I manage my schedule well. You know, Mikado-kun, I think this city loves me. I was on a business trip last week and who do I see the first day I get back but you? Seriously, I think this city wants you two to make up. You broke his heart when you disappeared. He was depressed for weeks!" Izaya spoke cryptically but Mikado had already figured it out. However, something seemed odd to him.

"How would you know?" Mikado asked, trying hard not to sound like Izaya's words affected him.

"They say true enemies know each other inside and out, you know? I may not want to know but I'm the only who realized everything. That's why I went and told him you came back." Izaya revealed and Mikado paled at that. Looking shocked, he faced Izaya. "Don't look so surprised. I doubt that even if he had your number, he'd call it out of the blue so desperately. Of course, then again, this is Shizu-chan we're talking about so his patterns become random."

"How…? Why…?" Mikado was confused and his body began to tremble lightly.

"I wanted to see that face of yours, Mikado-kun. I was also hurt by you disappearing on me. Our business isn't over and I'm not about to let Shizu-chan get in the way of it." Izaya grinned as he got closer to Mikado. He was going to get closer to the younger man and make use of him again. After all, it didn't seem to Izaya like Mikado had changed at all. Just like he predicted to Simon.

However, as Izaya got closer, he noticed something odd. Mikado wasn't responding how he hoped. The younger man had stopped listening to him completely. His mind was sifting through the memories it contained.

"_Look out!_"

"_Kyaaa!_"

"_Are you okay?_"

"_Get a transfusion!_"

"_Did he…feel the same way?_"

The memory made Mikado stop breathing. His pulse rose and his arm burned from remembering. They were connected. Two memories overlapped in different ways. At that moment, he remembered the most important thing.

"_Change me._"

Izaya was on the floor before he knew what had happened. Looking up at the sky, he didn't see Mikado. The younger one was long gone now. At that moment, Izaya began to laugh.

"Awesome! Just awesome, Mikado-kun! You actually have changed, haven't you?" Any passerby decided Izaya was insane and walked around him in order not to be associated with him.

… … …

"Hey Shizuo. Good work today. You can go home now." Tanaka Tom smiled at his bodyguard. With the years, he had begun to grow a beard, which he himself called cool and hip.

"Alright. Good night." Shizuo replied with a nod and walked out of the office calmly. He knew his sempai had been irked by him making all those calls during work but Shizuo refused to give up. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Perhaps Ruri had been right about him being persistent like Kasuka?

In response to his frustration, Shizuo lit up a cigarette and began making his way to his apartment. He wanted to try the number again. But if after a whole day, the person in question wasn't answering, then the probability that they wanted nothing to do with him rose. It made him angry and depressed at the same time.

But he resigned to his fated and, despite knowing he wouldn't get an answer, tried once more to connect to the person he searched. As usual, the number was dialed with ease. He memorized it after all. Then came the low ring as one phone tried to connect with the other. Nothing happened after two rings that Shizuo was starting to think, once again, that it would not connect.

As he focused all his hearing on the sound coming from his phone, he was surprised when he heard another phone ringing in the distance. It scared him since the street was pretty crowded so hearing another phone cry out would have seemed normal. But this was Shizuo, Ikebukuro's one-man army, who normally ran on instinct.

Completely forgetting about the significance of the phone call he was making, Shizuo counted in his mind the microseconds it took for one ring in his ear to be followed by the one in his other ear. It was probably a coincidence. _There's no way it could be him…_ Shizuo was adamant on it not being the truth, but his heart cried out for it to be so.

Then…came the glimpse of a person.

Almost as if he were possessed, Shizuo ran after that shadow. It was fast. As fast as Izaya normally was. _No… Much faster. Who?_ He tried to keep up but both the person and the sound of the phone were long gone.

Not even his call went through.

… … …

Anri closed up for the day more than four hours ago. She was worried only slightly since the guest in her house had yet to come back. _The students probably caught him._ Anri told herself with a smile. As she prepared to search for a requested item, she heard a noise coming from the shop. Worried it might be a thief, she headed down, prepared to strike if necessary.

So it came as a shock when she saw Mikado next to one of her tables, holding it for support. "Ryugamine-kun?" She called out to him and came forward.

However, instead of answering her immediately, he grabbed hold of her in a tight embrace. Every cell in her body screamed and even her demon demanded blood but Anri quickly calmed it down. She noticed he reeked of sweat but since she could feel the sticky water touching her lightly, Anri figured something must have happened to her friend.

"Sorry…" Mikado began, "Just let me stay like this for a while." With a nod, Anri hugged him back. She hoped that alone would help him get better.

**To Be Continued…**


	12. The Face of Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 11:<strong> The Face of Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Weird Mikado and d!ckhole Izaya.

* * *

><p>Mikado did not explain to Anri what had happened. He simply apologized and headed to bed, not even bothering to take a bath. Since there was not much she could do, Anri decided to leave Mikado to his own devices for the time being. She knew he would eventually tell her what happened when he did not feel forced into a corner. After all, the last thing she wanted was for him to disappear.<p>

By the next early morning, Anri heard a shower. She figured it must've been Mikado and drifted back to sleep. Her alarm woke her up around seven, which was her usual time for getting up. As she headed into the kitchen, she saw breakfast prepared but no Mikado around. There was a note on the food as well.

"I left breakfast out for you for when you wake up. I might not be back by the time you're up. I see…" Anri smiled and sat down to eat. It was warm, on the borderline of cold, but still, it tasted good.

After she was done, Anri brushed her teeth and got ready for work. As she walked downstairs, she heard the shop doors opening and closing. Once she was down on the first floor, she saw Mikado in jogging clothes. This was the first time she had seen him in those clothes. She didn't even know Mikado jogged.

"Oh, good morning Sonohara-san!" Mikado greeted her normally with a flashing smile. He got closer and gave her a peck on the cheek, effectively freezing her in place. However, Mikado didn't even seem to notice and walked past her. "I'll be getting ready for work too so I'll see you when I come back down."

Shaking her head, Anri tried to stop the blush that threatened to overcome her face. That Mikado did not seem like the usual Mikado from before. It actually reminded her a little of when she had gone to pick him up. It was a very American-ish move of him. The only difference was that last time he actually noticed that he had done it. This time, it was as if the whole thing was a normal and daily occurrence to him.

She got flustered over it. Very flustered.

But she quickly got her bearings by giving herself a few light smacks to the face. Now she was awake and could put the whole thing in the back of her mind.

… … …

"Eh? Mikado? You sure?" Masaomi asked his lover with a curious look. He never doubted her words so it came as a surprise when she had mentioned something she had seen the previous night.

At the moment, Masaomi was helping out at the nursery where Saki worked but would probably not stay long as he needed a nap before waking up again later in the afternoon. But he loved the time he could spend with his lover, however long or short it may be.

"I thought it was odd, but I don't think I could mistake Ryugamine-kun. Still, his movements reminded me of Izaya-san." Saki explained but held back the detail about the other person she saw after her glance at Mikado's form the previous night. She figured it was odd but probably a just coincidence. There could've been a case of mistaken identity. _But he wasn't screaming his lungs off…_

"Mikado hasn't mentioned becoming a crazy person like Izaya-san. Then again, he really hasn't mentioned much about his time abroad. Now I'm curious." Making up his mind, Masaomi nodded to himself. "Alright, I'll go visit him a bit later. Let's see what he has to say."

Giving his girlfriend a light peck on the lips, he received cheers from the children in the nursery. Giving light bows in their directions, Masaomi extended his arms up high in celebration. After an hour, Masaomi said goodbye to Saki and the children before heading out to meet Mikado. It seemed like an interesting mystery for him to solve.

… … …

"Yo, Mikado!" Masaomi greeted his best friend like usual but stopped short when he noticed something completely odd. Well, he should've thought it odd the moment he caught a glimpse of said best friend, but now that he was closer, it was a whole new ball game.

"Ah, Masaomi! Well, I have to attend to this matter so please excuse me. I'll tutor you all another time, is that okay?" Mikado flashed a bright smile, completely uncharacteristic of him, to the flock of students surrounding him. It'd look like Mikado had his own harem but these were females and males around him.

Walking over to Masaomi, Mikado grabbed the other's wrist and started pulling him with him. Once they reached a different section of the university grounds, Mikado turned to Masaomi.

"So what's up? You're usually pretty busy so I can only assume something happened, right?" Mikado seemed extremely weird to Masaomi. It seemed as though Saki had been right. There was something odd about the person in front of him. The way he carried himself did remind Masaomi of Izaya, but his smiles and current personality seemed more like his own.

Since he figured teasing Mikado would probably not yield any results at the moment, Masaomi decided to ask, "You okay? Saki said she saw you running around like a madman last night."

"Oh, that? It was because I was stressed." Mikado answered with a bright smile but Masaomi had a hard time believing him. "Well, Izaya-san found me and reminded me of what I hoped to accomplish in America so I needed to cool off first."

"That makes no sense to me. But if you ever need an ear, you can talk to me. I do need to talk to you about something, but not now. I'll wait a bit first." Masaomi decided to drop the subject and waved goodbye to Mikado before running off. He needed sleep first.

As soon as Masaomi was gone, Mikado dropped the smile and took a more serious gaze. His eyes seemed cold and thoughtful. He quickly brought his right thumb to his mouth and bit hard on his nail. _It's not enough. More… Until I can face him again._ Part of the nail broke off and he walked back to his professor's office for a band aid without much of a care.

… … …

"Oh! If it isn't Iza-nii! How are you, you useless bag of a big brother to walk the earth? Are you still looking for a fight? Aoba-kun told us all about it. Really, you shouldn't tease my landlord so much. It'll come and bite you someday." Mairu laughed at her older brother once she opened the door.

"As usual, you only keep talking to yourself. Where is that landlord of yours? I'm hoping he'll have better luck in this little project of mine." Izaya replied with his usual smile while walking into the apartment as if he owned the place.

"What project are you talking about dear brother? Are you up to no-good again?" Mairu hid her chuckle behind her hand while following Izaya in.

"That's so mean. I'm actually doing someone a favor. I'm not entirely made of selfish emotions, you know." Izaya told her but Mairu had no intention of believing him.

"I call your bluff." Aoba said at the right time but not to Izaya. Looking up at the two who entered his living room, he quickly frowned towards the information broker.

At the moment, the three had been playing cards but now with Izaya, Aoba felt no wish to continue. The man soured anything he did after all. "Now, now. Don't look at me like that. I'm being the good guy here." Izaya spoke in his defense and took out a folded note he quickly left in front of Aoba. "For you. If you go there tomorrow, you might find yourself useful to someone and see something good."

Without expecting a reply, Izaya quickly turned around and left the apartment. Oh, he had so many things to do now. _This is all the excitement you cause me Mikado-kun._

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Confronting the Change 3

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 12:<strong> Confronting the Change 3  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> I just had to make that joke. I'd been hearing it a lot lately so it's a given it doesn't belong to me. Also, some passive aggressive fighting. And wimpy-girl type running away. Oh, and fangirl Aoba.

* * *

><p>Izaya figured there might be a need for a doctor. Things would sure get nasty after all. It was a good chance as any to make the day less boring. And the ex-leader of the Dollars had to be taught a lesson. Property doesn't change hands unless the owner acknowledges it. Izaya knew perfectly well he had a twisted view on the situation, but damned be it for the ex-bartender to one up him with his playthings.<p>

"Well, are you ready for our date, Mikado-kun?" With a sly grin in place, he figured the boy would show a little hesitation.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when Mikado first chuckled. They currently stood in front of Mikado's professor's office, the other just having finished another day's work. According to the information Izaya had, the boy didn't work every day, just Monday through Thursday. And considering that it was the middle of the week, it came as no surprise that Mikado had been working. Izaya loved to work fast sometimes. Something to do with age; according to Erika at least.

"What date would that be Izaya-san? We haven't planned anything, have we?" Mikado asked with a smile in place and started walking away.

That didn't stop Izaya from walking just a couple of steps behind Mikado. "Of course not, but really, I want to spend quality time with you Mikado-kun."

"And why should I comply? Your advances are too forward, Izaya-san. It's a little off-putting." Izaya could hear the laughs Mikado stifled with that comment. It was starting to seem fun to Izaya.

"I think you misunderstand Mikado-kun. I simply called it a date to be polite. I can forcefully make you go on this date with me, don't you think?" At those words, Mikado stopped in his tracks. Izaya hoped he showed a paled complexion and tried to sneak a peak, but by the time he caught a glance of Mikado, the other was smiling. If his words had any effect, he missed seeing what that effect was.

"This is why Izaya-san doesn't have a lover, you know. But I understand. I'll accompany the lonely and miserable Izaya-san, if only that will make you happy." His words were cold as ice but anyone who saw the scene from afar would think they were two normal good friends.

"Why, thanks Mikado-kun. This is why you'll make the most adorable wife. See how I know your role? You can't be a husband anymore, what with deciding to no longer make any advances to Anri-chan. Not that Saika would let you anyways." Izaya returned the attack with one of his own while they began walking side-by-side.

"I think Saika-san wouldn't mind either way. I'm sure it loves Sonohara-san in its own way. But even if Izaya-san became a husband, you'd probably get a divorce soon due to adultery. I think you should be more loyal to your partners." Mikado came up with another rebuttal as they exited the building.

"Aren't I loyal to you though? I can safely say you've been in the recesses of my mind for quite a long time Mikado-kun. I was hurt by your disappearance as well, you know." Izaya calmly states with a proud grin while patting his chest.

Mikado hides another chuckle again and smiles to Izaya. "I somehow doubt that, Izaya-san. You'd be terribly more proactive if that were the case. And I know you well. Possibly just as well as you believe to know me. There's no way your activities as an informant would cease with my travel abroad. And it's those activities which give you the fun you always seek. So in essence, you're the same as always."

"I think you'd make an understanding wife, Mikado-kun. You know me inside and out! Should I propose?" Izaya asked with a wink as they exit the campus grounds and head towards the hustle and bustle of the city.

"I'll respectfully decline. There are too many people who would be jealous of that marriage. Both from my side and yours." Mikado answered and failed to see the wide grin on Izaya's face.

"Right, your side. That would include a certain particular individual you're hiding from, right?" Izaya hoped this time Mikado would give him the reaction he sought but the other simply gave him a blank stare.

"Why do you care so much about that particular subject?" Mikado managed to ask and resumed walking since Izaya's question had caused him to freeze on the spot.

Izaya went into thought, even though he already knew the answer and grinned to the younger man. "Well, it's because that little incident was what caused you two to become acquainted with each other, remember? Also, it might be psychological, but that wound is still visible, even with his inhuman body structure."

Mikado's thoughts lingered on his left arm. There was a tingling sensation over there and it wouldn't go away. His next move was gone by now and only instinct remained. "You're so mean."

The words were murmured but Izaya still heard them. _Finally, we're getting somewhere._ However, before he could act out any more words to incite Mikado, Izaya was forced to take a step back. His body reacted before his mind did since he could feel it coming a mile away. But what surprised Izaya was that Mikado took the same step back, totally in sync with Izaya.

It was as if he felt it too.

… … …

Aoba was waiting. He couldn't help but wonder, _What the devils does that man want me to see here anyways? And who am I being useful to?_ As he balanced the ups and downs of following through with Izaya's request, he caught a glimpse of the culprit. Thinking of what he could say to the man to get answers, he quickly heard the great crash.

It, obviously, was quickly followed by an, "IIIIZAAAAYAAAA!"

_He deserves getting pummeled. Maybe old age will catch up to him one of these days and…_ His thoughts completely stopped once he noticed there was someone right there next to Izaya. "No way…" Aoba voiced out his thoughts and began walking towards Izaya again.

Yet his brain knew there was danger ahead. That little voice inside him, screaming in a metallic voice, "Danger Will Robinson!" was not enough to stop him. His body refused to stop. Aoba needed to be there right now. At that moment.

Because if there was anyone to be useful to; it was that person.

… … …

Mikado was now the correct shade of paleness Izaya wanted him to be. It was perfect to him. And it didn't seem like Shizuo had noticed him yet. That was the moment he was really waiting for.

"Sempai!" And then that one came towards them. Izaya simply hoped he'd stay by the sidelines watching whatever plan Izaya had cooked up but now he'd have to improvise.

"Watch out!" Mikado's scream was loud enough to stop the raging beast. Izaya took note of that for future reference. "Don't involve others into this!" He screamed towards Izaya while holding back Aoba, having protected him from another vending machine.

_Really, the way he moved was exhilarating._ With Mikado's words, Izaya was back on plan. "That's funny. Isn't that the same thing you told me Shizu-chan?" He turned to the frozen blond with a wide grin.

"Mikado-sempai?" Aoba glanced up at the paled face of Mikado before the other began pulling him away from the scene. He was caught by surprise but figured he should go with the flow for the moment. As long as he could be near the other again, Aoba didn't care what was happening.

"What'll you do? Me or him?" Izaya offered to Shizuo with a smile that seemed about to break into a laughter. Interestingly enough for Izaya, Shizuo acted just like he thought he would, which was a rare occasion. The ex-bartender threw another object towards Izaya before running after the other two.

It was a truly rare sight when Heiwajima Shizuo turns away from his most hated enemy. _Though the reason why is obvious, even though I'm the only one who knows._ Izaya thought very wrongly but continued on his way, now having finished his so-called date with Mikado.

… … …

"You haven't changed your phone number, right?" Mikado asked sweetly, his strange demeanor now back in action. It was as if the adrenaline woke something up from its slumber.

"Uh, n-no." Aoba quickly replied, looking back to see the glimmer of the blond. _Why is he chasing us?_

Though it made no sense to Aoba, Mikado knew the answer to that question more than anyone. "Then I'll call you later, Aoba-kun. I run faster when I'm not pulling anyone and he's catching up right now." Letting go of his ex-kouhai's hand, Mikado indeed ran faster now. Within seconds, he was out of Aoba's sight.

There was only a feeling of warmth lingering behind his previously captured hand and that caused Aoba to bring it closer to his body. That small moment to himself was ripped apart by the tight feeling of someone like Shizuo grabbing hold of his shoulder.

"Where'd he go?" Shizuo demanded of Aoba but the younger male now looked slightly angry at the interruption. He had the feeling he was the last to know Mikado had returned to Japan. That plus the fact that it was Izaya who caused the revelation irked him. But he was curious…

"What's your relationship with Mikado-sempai, Shizuo-san? I've never seen you around him. Besides, it's pretty weird that you didn't go after Izaya-san but sempai." Aoba seemed to demand an explanation but Shizuo didn't give any. The man simply tightened his hands into fist and walked the other way.

Aoba didn't know; Shizuo was both hurt and pissed at the same time.

**To Be Continued…**


	14. Ripples of Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 13:<strong> Ripples of Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Fangirl Aoba, again. English is "_italics inside_" normal speak.

* * *

><p>"Oh, so that was you, Mikapuu?" Erika laughed but held herself in check so she wouldn't fall backwards.<p>

"That isn't funny, Erika-san. I'm very angry with Izaya-san here. I can't believe he'd do this just because he was bored." Mikado pouted but continued dusting the items in front of him. He had already told the story to Anri so the owner of the store was handling a client in front.

"You don't seem very angry. And I've heard you've had a few mood changes lately too. What's up with that?" Erika decided to ask, loving the conversation with every minute.

"It's a pact I made with someone." Mikado smiled, laughing at a memory inside him.

"It's this someone special to you? Like Shizu-chan special?" Erika seemed interested in the subject but whispered due to the fact that Anri had shown up with the client to charge what he had picked.

"Oh, totally not." Mikado replied with a wide and bright smile. "It's my sponsor. He granted me a wish in return for something I did for him."

"What kind of wish? And what did you do for him?" Erika seemed super interested and seemed to know what kind of questions to ask. But in reality, she was being cautious to not ask too many things at once. Anri had already warned her not to push Mikado too much.

"I did what any decent human being would've done. And in return, he helped me evolve again." Mikado answered truthfully but the truth seemed to confuse Erika. _What does he mean by evolve again?_

Deciding not to ask, Erika thought of how else to move the conversation to juicy bits when they heard a soft jingle. Anri and Erika looked surprised and turned to Mikado, who let out a soft chuckle. They watched him bring out him phone and read a text message. Lowering another chuckle, Mikado replied to the text and put away his phone.

Erika flapped her lips to ask who that was but the jingle was heard again, this time, more than once. Picking up his phone, Mikado began to move from his current spot. "_It's three in the afternoon. I should be the one asking why you're up. Another late night with the program? Wasn't it working last time?_" Mikado spoke in English once the other person calmed down.

"Oh, Mikapuu speaks pretty fluent English. Never thought about that part." Erika seemed surprised since she could hear part of the conversation as Mikado had made his way to the front of the store.

"It's the first time I've heard him as well. I don't think anyone's called him either before. Aside from you-know-who and us." Anri was trying to be tactful by not mentioning the name that had normally freaked out Mikado before.

"_Alright then. Let's talk another time. You want a picture instead? I think you're becoming more perverted. Your girlfriend's gonna cry again, you know. Bye._" Hanging up on the call, Mikado returned to the two girls. "Sorry, that was a long distance call."

"No problem. A friend?" Anri asked cautiously and Mikado nodded with a smile.

"He was a classmate from back in America. That's the sponsor I was talking about, Erika-san." Mikado explained to the now-excited woman, who quickly began thinking up plots in her mind. "Ah, before I end up forgetting. I have something to do Sunday afternoon so I'll be out for a while then."

Slightly confused, Anri asked, "Is it work?"

"No, something personal. Nothing terrible, I assure you Sonohara-san." Mikado simply said and returned to dusting the items he had brought to the counter.

… … …

"Ruka." Kururi lifted the young boy and began to cuddle him tightly. His laughter at the act was an indication that her hug didn't really hurt so Ruri was not worried about him at the time being.

"You both rarely come visit like this. Did something happen?" Ruri asked the younger twin, looking slightly worried about their presence in her apartment. It wasn't the first time they had met alone but it was actually the first time the two came knowing Kasuka would not be there. Usually, they'd be trying to cuddle up to Kasuka.

This time however, they were acting weirder than usual. If that could be possible for the twins. "Aoba-kun is acting weird!" Mairu finally spoke, yelling the words that Ruri thought about her at the moment.

"What do you mean?" Ruri tried to be helpful by asking her question softly. She never knew what set the girls off or their way of thinking, despite the years they knew each other.

"He's going all gaga for something. He barely responds, is making lots of mistakes and just keeps staring at his phone like it's a lover! It's making Kuru-nee depressed!" Mairu pointed to her sister with a pout and Ruri followed her gaze to the older twin. _Well, she does seem more attached to Ruka than usual._

As Ruri thought about what she could do for the twins, she remembered something. "Kasuka-san was wondering if you would like to attend the next party as our bodyguards. You like those functions as well, right?" Since they had gotten married, Ruri got used to calling Kasuka that way but it usually irked the twins at times. Today was different though.

Mairu looked to be in thought while Kururi had stopped moving, causing Ruka to pet her and gain her attention. Wondering what she could say to make the twins feel better, Ruri's thoughts were interrupted by Mairu's scream. Ruka had looked startled and Kururi gazed at her younger sister.

"Let's do it this way then, Kuru-nee!" Mairu spoke cryptically. At the very least, Ruri didn't understand her. "Yuuhei-san is our what?"

"Beloved." Kururi immediately answered and Mairu nodded happily.

"And Aoba-kun?" At this, Ruri simply thought that they were trying to ascertain something. But what that was, she didn't know. Kururi had paused and taken a moment to reply to Mairu's question. However, that answer seemed to have surprised Ruri while Mairu simply grinned.

… … …

[Can we talk tomorrow? Are you free then?] His voice was alluring to Aoba. There had been nothing that could excite him like this for the past six years. Well, something came close a few times.

"I'll make time for you even if it kills me, sempai." Aoba replied enthusiastically, silently cheering in his mind. It almost felt like a dream to him so he had already pinched his cheek a few times.

A soft chuckle came from the other side. [I don't want you to die, Aoba-kun. Just talk, is all. Then, that diner near the station. I saw it was still there.]

"Neither rain nor hail will stop me! But I'll be careful to watch out for my safety on the way." Aoba promised and waited until the other had hung up. Even though he knew it wasn't a dream, he still felt like it was. After staring at the new number in his registry, it took him a while to fully realize he should save it. About three hours, actually.

**To Be Continued…**


	15. Ripples of Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 14:<strong> Ripples of Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> For the third time in a row, fangirl Aoba. Plus a pair of angry twins.

* * *

><p>"I should've known it was Izaya-san who set that up." With a sip of his coffee, Mikado gave a sadden sigh. At the moment, he was on what-could-be-called a date with his kouhai from both high school and university. "Well, ignoring that, I'm surprised to see you in a lab coat. I was going to mention that last time, but the circumstances prevented me from doing so."<p>

Smiling in response, Aoba felt ecstatic simply by being in the older sempai's presence. "It's actually a doctor's coat. After you left, well, I became Shinra-sensei's disciple."

"You mean Shinra-san? Celty-san's lover?" Mikado interrupted with a surprised look.

Nodding, Aoba continued his story. "I was always good at sciences and biology so it was pretty easy to learn from him. Of course, getting my license was a whole other story, but since I followed in his footsteps, it wasn't as necessary as you'd think. Shinra-sensei had a contract of sorts with the Awakusu-kai. And after the whole head fiasco, I inherited that contract."

"Ah, the thing about Izaya-san being the one who had Celty-san's head? Sonohara-san told me about it last week." Mikado smiled at the story, both his and Aoba's. "There really is a lot I have to catch up on."

"Where are you staying now sempai?" Aoba quickly asked, hoping to learn where to visit him as much as he could. After all, now that he knew that his beloved sempai was back in Japan, he intended to spend as much time with him as possible. And for that, he needed to learn where he lived.

"I don't know if I should tell you. You're almost my stalker, you know." Mikado said with a teasing voice but even that didn't bother Aoba. However, before the other could retort anything, Mikado continued. "Don't worry, I know you're not a stalker, just a very avid fan. Well, didn't Izaya-san tell you anything? I'm more surprised you don't know."

Aoba pouted and was about to say something when he was attacked from behind by none other than Kururi. His tenant had wrapped her arms around her landlord's shoulder almost possessively. "Ah, I seriously should've known! No one makes Aoba-kun this stupid except Mikado-sempai! But you see what you did? You've depressed Kuru-nee! And that, I can't forgive!"

"Oh? Well, what would you like me to do? Though I take no responsibility for Aoba-kun's actions, would you like me to make it up to you by letting you to duel me or something?" Mikado laughed at his own suggestion but saw Mairu's thoughtful look and sighed while shaking his head. "It was a joke Mairu-chan. Aoba-kun, please ease their worries."

"I don't know. The thought of sempai fighting for me kinda makes me happy." Aoba grinned aloofly and felt Kururi pinching his cheeks. "Ow! Ow! Ow~! Kururi, seriously, what gives?"

"Belongs." Kururi stopped and proclaimed her desire with only one word. Though, it was just Mairu who understood since she was squealing by herself.

"Who does? And to whom?" Aoba asked with a pout, completely ignoring how Kururi returned to hugging him. "You can't mean me since you two already proclaimed that as impossible ever since sempai went away."

"Hold on, how am I involved?" Confused by the drama unfolding in front of him, Mikado decided to speak up and try to understand the situation. He knew the three were close since their high school days, but how much had that changed since he left back then? And in what ways?

"It was only a joke, dear landlord!" Mairu pouted at Aoba's glare, taking a seat at the table the two were in. "I obviously care about Kuru-nee a lot so I can't just blindly give her away! I play the papa in this!"

Noticing that all three had no intention of paying him any attention, Mikado decided to keep quiet and hear how this played out. "Now you're the dad? All this time you said you loved Yuuhei-san with all your heart and nothing would stop you and Kururi from being in love with him. And even with that proclamation, you throw Kururi at me every chance you get as if she's a toy to play with! And the worse thing is that you know very well how I feel about you both!" Aoba yelled at Mairu, standing up to face the younger twin while the older one remained hanging from his shoulders.

"Yeah, you care enough to let us stay at your place but you have no idea how much Kuru-nee is suffering because of this idiot!" Mairu stood up as well and placed the blame on Mikado by pointing towards her senior. "And you can't blame me for having some fun since it just makes Kuru-nee happy!"

"Hold on. Kururi-chan is in love with Aoba-kun?" Mikado managed to ask and was heard by all three. Mairu looked at him as if it were obvious, while the other two had begun to blush, though Aoba looked shocked and Kururi shy. "Then, Mairu-chan, how about you and I leave these two alone? I can accompany you anywhere you'd like."

Thinking it through, Mairu grinned and took Mikado away from the two who were left to fix whatever misunderstanding they had.

… … …

"Chikage-san, what are you doing?" Masaomi asked his boss, who at the moment seemed more interested in the catalogue he was looking at than the work he was supposed to have been doing.

"Expanding our reserve." Chikage answered with a low grin, pleased with himself.

"Yeah, but you're ignoring the crates we're supposed to be bringing in. And it's almost opening hour." Masaomi reminded his boss while another host came in to help.

"Don't worry about it." While the man laughed by himself, his employees tried to ignore how much he had been slacking. "By the way, I hear your best friend is back in town. Are you planning on going ahead with that little plan of yours?"

Masaomi froze on the spot. _How did he find out?_ Chikage snickered at that and tried to stop his laughter from blowing out. _Ah, damn it. His clients; should've known._ "Of course I will. As soon as Mikado resolves whatever is bothering him. I'm not so insensitive as to ask him right at this moment. I've learned to read the air." He answered with a small sigh of defeat.

"Good, good. I've been waiting for this for a while as well. I want to go too." Chikage joked with a grin and returned to his catalogue. "So make sure he answers positively or I'll force the answer out of him."

"Don't need to tell me twice, boss." Masaomi laughed himself and picked up another crate. "But help out, will ya? We really are running out of time."

… … …

"Mikado-kun is back?" Kasuka sounded confused by the words his brother uttered. Ruri was playing with Ruka in the other room so she was not privy to the conversation. Therefore, she could not mention how she already knew or that she found out about it back when she saw Shizuo in front of Mikado's old apartment.

"I didn't say anything since I knew you'd be worried." Shizuo explained but kept quiet again. He had been staring at his scar, repeating past scenes over and over in his mind like a broken recorder. It was as if he tried to make a different decision to change the present. However, nothing he thought of would alter the now he lived in. It was simply hard to accept that.

"But you're mentioning it now. That means you want something, doesn't it brother? Or do you simply wish to vent your frustration? I don't mind either way. You know you can come to me for anything." Kasuka tried to soothe his older brother's worries in his own way, though he had no idea what truly plagued Shizuo.

Without receiving an answer, Kasuka sat down on his sofa, next to his brother. He could wait for as long as Shizuo needed. "You talked to him before, right? Did he…seem angry?"

"Before he left you mean?" Kasuka tilted his head in confusion. "No. Back then, he was…worried, I would say. I could tell he had something on his mind but he didn't want to talk about it." He answered while remembering the past. There was something else, but he wasn't sure he could talk about it at the moment.

"So it is my fault he left. Damn it… When will I learn?" Though he muttered that last line to himself, Kasuka still managed to hear his brother's anguish.

"What happened?" Kasuka asked, finding it odd that his brother would torture himself this much because of something from so long ago. But he knew how kind his brother was, so he wasn't that surprised, just worried.

"I pushed him away." Shizuo answered almost honestly. "I just… I was surprised so I wanted to talk about it and didn't realize he was that torn up about it. And even now, that I have his number again, all I can do is push. I don't know if I can be as stubborn as you Kasuka."

"Brother just needs to be brother." Kasuka commented and saw Ruri come in with his son. "Alright, I'll go talk to him myself."

"But you don't know where he is." Shizuo was confused; he didn't know what Kasuka was planning.

"Izaya-san will know." He wasn't saying that to irk his brother, but he knew that what he just said was most likely true. "There's no way he hasn't found out. So, Ruri-san, could you and Ruka-kun accompany me?"

Ruri looked towards her husband with a surprised look. "Eh? Kasuka-san, you want to use Ruka?"

"It'll be alright. That man can't do anything to Ruka-kun." Kasuka pet his son's head softly and with care. The child, in return, smiled at his father before muttering a 'gao' like a small animal.

**To Be Continued…**


	16. In front of Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 15:<strong> In front of Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Way too much tempo. And good little boys and girls should not imitate Mikado.

* * *

><p>Anri was frozen in place. She couldn't move from the shock. If anything, she felt like fainting. <em>Why is such a family in front of my store?<em> She couldn't help but wonder.

"Ah, I see. You're Kida-kun's friend, right?" Kasuka asked as he and his loving family entered the store. Anri nodded feverishly, hoping not to say anything too offensive. She had heard once from Masaomi about this man's son being in Saki's nursery job but never did she expect him to show up here, much less know she was Masaomi's friend. "I'm looking for your tenant, Ryugamine Mikado-san."

Not knowing what to say, Anri was startled by Ruka's small roar. The child seemed to have found an enemy in one of the antique statutes in the store. "If I may ask, why are you looking for him?" Anri willed herself to ask.

"I'm certain it doesn't pertain you, Sonohara-san. There is something I wish to speak to him about alone." Kasuka explained and stepped forward to Anri, stopping just in front of the front counter.

"Kida-kun told me once, not because he was being nosy, about you and Heiwajima-san. He knew I wouldn't say anything and it's not something he'll mention to just anyone, but since I know that much, I have to decline. I can't let you see Ryugamine-kun." Anri seemed adamant about this but she was just worried.

"How much do you know?" Kasuka asked while Ruri picked up her son and brought him over. The child had been dangerously close to breaking something.

"Just that Mikado-kun is afraid. And I don't wish to see him backed into a corner. We've all agreed to leave this matter alone. It'll solve itself when it does. The last thing both Kida-kun and I wish to see again is an empty apartment." Anri explained her stand in this, even though she knew nothing yet.

Kasuka glanced down, almost in thought. "You're right." He admitted and Ruri looked at him worriedly. "But I'm not planning on dragging him to see brother. I just want to know what he's feeling and what he felt. I know nothing either, after all."

"Yuuhei-san…" Ruri called out to her husband worriedly and since they were outside she didn't call him by his real name, even if she preferred to use his real name. "If it helps, Ruka caught his scent."

"Thank you, Ruri-san." Kasuka nodded to her to show her appreciation.

As they turned around to leave, Anri called out to them. "Please wait. I don't…know where he is today… But he should be back in the afternoon. Sorry, I just don't want to push Ryugamine-kun too much." She apologized to them and saw Ruri smile towards her.

"We won't do anything that'll cause brother to be depressed either. We just want to see what we can do to help." Anri almost swore she saw a smile on Kasuka's face before all three left her shop.

… … …

Breathing in and out, Mikado tried to calm his nerves. It wasn't that it was something new to him but it'd be the first time he did this since he came back. He was happy, thrilled even. After all, there was a promise to keep here. But more than that, it was a reminder of what he had done in order to reach the him who stood there now; who took a step into the building.

… … …

"What the hell are you doing?" Yagiri Namie's voice came as a surprise to Izaya, who suddenly woke up in his sofa in nothing but a towel around his waist. She had been abroad for some time now so suddenly seeing her previous employer like this took her off guard.

"Huh?" Izaya wiped the drool and grinned. "Well, this is a surprise Namie-san! You came back? Weren't you off following your beloved brother?" Since the incident with the head, it was common knowledge that the headless-now-with-a-head rider had left the country, along with some doctor. What wasn't common knowledge was that Yagiri Seiji and his stalker/girlfriend/head-substitute Harima Mika had run after the other couple. And like the loyal sister she was, Namie also followed suit.

"Seiji heard about that coming back and asked me to give them a great welcome home. I don't really care except he promised me a kiss if I did that." It was amusing to Izaya how Namie's expression change per noun. "So I'll have you help me out."

"You quit so suddenly, and without a letter I might add, and now you expect me to hire you again?" Izaya asked with a sly grin, waiting to see what kind of answer his previous employee would say.

"I can see you still don't know how to take care of yourself. You've even lost your clothes if you had to sleep like that." Namie eyed him with a smile that showed how much she was trying to make fun of Izaya.

"How rude! I'm not going to hire you if you act like that! Besides, I've got no idea how I ended up here like this!" Izaya pouted, trying to be cute. "Though I have a feeling it has to do with something interesting. Hmmm… I wonder what could've happened." He seemed interested in the mystery so he stopped paying attention to Namie.

As the woman rolled her eyes, realizing not even the years alone would change Izaya. For the moment, she tried to think of a way to get Izaya to finance the Dullahan's welcome to the city.

… … …

"_Just got out. I won't scratch it, don't worry. I do feel a bit hungry though. Yes, they gave me food. I'll just buy something to eat anyways. See ya." _Mikado hung up on his second international call from America. He had just gotten out of the hospital and felt like scratching the bandage on his arm. As he began his trek to Anri's place, something put his hair on end and he froze.

Sweat began to fall down. He knew that something was about to happen. His switch was flickering as if it needed to turn on. And then, he heard his name. "Mikado."

There was no need to turn around since Mikado knew who was calling him. The softness in the voice caused Mikado to tremble. _It's the same as back then. He doesn't even hate me._ Turning around, trying not to make a dash for it, Mikado saw him. "Shizuo-san…"

Both were trying to say something; anything. "That flea said you were here. And then I got a phone call, but you wouldn't pick up." Their hearts were racing. Adrenaline was pumping.

"Just a few more days!" Mikado ran for it without giving an excuse, earning Shizuo's wrath.

"Stop right there!" As Shizuo struggled to get closer to Mikado, he fought against the instinct that screamed "Grab that flea and kill him!" since he knew dropping something on Mikado was the last thing he wanted to do. Kasuka stood by the side, along with Ruri and Ruka, wondering how Shizuo even got there before them when they hadn't even told him anything.

And then, as Mikado made a jump resembling Izaya, he landed directly on the floor and did not move. Shizuo and his family arrived at the scene and Ruri was the first to poke him. "He's unconscious."

_What the hell just happened?_, was on everyone's minds.

**To Be Continued…**


	17. Whereabouts of Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 16:<strong> Whereabouts of Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> More revelations? And this is why you shouldn't imitate Mikado.

* * *

><p>"ANRI-CHAN!" Masaomi burst into the shop with a shocked look in his face. "Everybody out! OUT!" He booted the one customer in the shop while leaving Erika alone. "Though I'll service you at my shop if you wish, as an apology." Handing the card to the confused older woman, Masaomi slammed the door in her face.<p>

"Kida-kun, that wasn't polite. And I don't like you doing such a thing in my store." Anri seemed a bit angry but Masaomi didn't care.

"That's not important right now!" And he said as much to his friend. "Saki just called me since she gave her number to that guy in case of emergency at the nursery but who cares about that part!" He wasn't making much sense and both females looked confused at him. "W-where's Mikado?"

"Mikapuu went out. Before noon I think. There was someplace he needed to go." Erika explained but it was simply what had happened two days prior that gave her knowledge.

"So he really isn't here?" Masaomi gave a deep sigh of sadness.

Tilting her head, Anri asked, "Did something happen?"

"Did it ever!" Masaomi exclaimed out loud with exasperation. "Mikado is in the hands of Yuuhei-san!"

Both women froze at that and only one knew the deeper meaning to it, even though Masaomi had no idea of it. "When did he call you?" Anri managed to ask; though knowing didn't mean she could just run off since there was no way she knew where to find Kasuka.

"Like half an hour ago! I mean, he said he found Mikado unconscious but how does he even know Mikado? Is he an esper too?" Masaomi wondered all the possibilities in his mind, not knowing how far from correct they were.

"It might be because of his brother…" Anri said softly but the two still heard her. Erika looked as confused as Masaomi, but much cuter despite being the older one.

"What does Heiwajima-san have to do with this?" Masaomi asked her and nearly jumped in surprise when Erika screamed. "Shizu-chan is…!" The woman was forced to close her mouth by both friends. "Anri-chan, just what's going on? What are you two hiding from me?"

"It's Shizuo-san. Yuuhei-san said he wanted to help. That might be why…" Anri spoke softly and Masaomi banged the counter with his fists.

"But what does it have to do with that guy?"

"It's who Mikapuu is running from!" Erika screamed with a squeal, enjoying every word of the conversation now. However, Masaomi still was confused.

With a long groan, he looked at Anri. "Okay, from the beginning. How about we share what we know?"

… … …

Everything felt fuzzy. His eyelids were heavy and he wondered where he was. "Ah, he's waking up." The voice seemed familiar but he couldn't place it.

"Mikado-kun, are you alright? Can you hear my voice?" This voice he definitely recognized.

"Kasuka-san?" He called out and first noticed Kasuka's face. "Where…?"

"My home. Are you alright now? You fainted earlier. I already called Kida-kun so he could warn your landlady that you were here." Kasuka explained and helped Mikado sit up. "I'd like to ask, since I'm just curious, what made you think you could run away from brother in that condition?"

With a startled look, Mikado glanced around the room. "Shizuo-san isn't here. We thought it best he left for the day." Ruri explained with a smile and brought her son for Mikado to see. "Nice to meet you, Ryugamine-kun. This is my son, Ruka and I'm Ruri."

"Ah, n-nice to meet you." Mikado felt embarrassed, watching how Ruka smiled in his direction, reminding him of someone else. He had to look away because of that. "A-anyways… I just forgot about it. I was thinking about something else."

"No, I understand. It's okay. But I would like to interrogate you on it." Kasuka was honest, not laughing at how Mikado seemed nervous about the topic. "Let's start with the hospital. You were donating, right? You must've just finished, otherwise you wouldn't have fainted like so. I'm just wondering, since when have you been doing such a thing?"

"Since I was in America. It's to remind myself of the promise I made with my sponsor." Mikado answered truthfully and felt Ruka tapping his leg, yet he couldn't face the boy.

"I won't ask you to start from the beginning, since I can tell it bothers you still. However, I'd like to know each step you took while you were in America and the reason for them." Kasuka felt so demanding that Mikado had no choice but to answer his questions.

… … …

"Shizuo, what are you doing here?" Kyohei found Shizuo right where he had been left when Mikado had fainted. He wasn't even allowed to help Kasuka take him to the apartment; Ruri took care of that.

"I'm thinking." Shizuo replied honestly, sounding a bit irked so Kyohei decided not to say something out of place.

"You want me to treat you to some food? It always helps me think." He suggested calmly so as not to sound offensive but Shizuo shook his head in response. "Then do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm pretty sure I shouldn't. It isn't something I can talk about with just anyone." Shizuo explained and returned to thinking but stopped to look at Kyohei when he heard the other sigh.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a wild guess. It has to do with Ryugamine, doesn't it?" The question was sudden and Shizuo stared in shock at Kyohei. It was obvious he wanted to ask how Kyohei found out but the former classmate sighed again. "Ever since Ryugamine came back, the rumors on you have been getting weirder than ever. And I remembered that they were the same around the time he left too. It wasn't that hard to piece the information together."

Shizuo groaned, irritated at himself for letting such a thing be known. It was bad enough that Izaya knew, and possibly Erika since she gave him Mikado's number, without counting anyone else he didn't know, but the fact was that more people were starting to catch on. That meant more people would be curious about things that didn't involve them and he would most likely blow a gasket soon.

"I'm not saying it so you can get angry with me. I'm just worried about both of you." Kyohei suddenly said, noticing how angry Shizuo was becoming. "I'm guessing you two had some fight and he ran away but since he's back now, you should try to fix things. And I mean without getting angry again." He was lecturing Shizuo without feeling afraid but that was simply Kyohei's thoughts on the matter.

"I know I should." Shizuo grabbed a cigarette and lit it up.

"Also," Kyohei spoke up before turning to leave. "I don't know since when, but I'm glad you made another friend. The result was a bit bad, but you had someone who understood you for a while. Anyways, just try your best."

Watching the smoke rise, Shizuo had a thought. _Try my best how? All I've done is make him cry._

**To Be Continued…**


	18. Discussing the Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 17:<strong> Discussing the Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Random conversations.  
><strong>AN:** I'm usually updating from my phone since I don't have my own net and the one I mooch off of doesn't turn on all the time so I haven't been able to discuss how awesome you guys are for reading thus far but I realize I should since we're almost at the half mark. We're halfway through now! So now it's starting to head into the random and serious (wait, when am I ever serious?). And now, abscond! Before the net disappears again!

* * *

><p>"I see you've gotten people all worked up, Mikado-kun. You even called in sick." Izaya grinned as he spoke to Mikado at Anri's shop. The owner was out at the moment, which was a good thing since she might've tried to hurt Izaya. "So what happened yesterday? My sources say Shizu-chan ambushed you and then you fainted? Was it out of joy?"<p>

"Izaya-san…" Mikado began, looking up at Izaya with a smile. "Did you come here because you were jealous? Shall I tell Erika-san? She'll enjoy that, you know? And when she enjoys things, I hear she makes visual stories." There was a wide grin that reminded Izaya of Erika herself.

"It's mimicry, isn't it?" Izaya suddenly asked and Mikado looked confused. "I just didn't get how you could've changed so much, even with a six-year difference. That right there, it's Erika-san, isn't it?"

Mikado giggled, trying to hide his laugh with his hand. "Izaya-san, you have an overactive imagination. I'm not surprised though, with your profession. But you're wrong."

"Oh, really? How am I wrong?" Izaya was curious as to what kind of answer the other would give him.

"You haven't realized? I'm not doing mimicry. That would mean I have something about myself I hate enough to exchange for. I don't. My change is different. Similar to the evolution you sought from me, but worse." Mikado's gaze reminded Izaya of the old days, back when Mikado led the Blue Squares.

"You never bore me, you know." Izaya told Mikado flat out. He was being honest too. "I'd almost want you for myself if not for the fact that I prefer everyone to a single one."

"Oh, I know that. Which is how I know you've been up to no good for some time now. After all, you want interesting moments. It's the whole reason you've been leading me along since we met, isn't it?" Mikado asked with a grin and anyone else would have thought the male might've brought out something to hurt Izaya with.

And with Izaya's imagination, he managed to feel the desired knife in his throat but he didn't let Mikado notice it. "Well, who wouldn't be interested in the Dollars founder? Nobody thought of you as so, what with that meek attitude you had when you first came to Ikebukuro."

"Yet everyone thought it was you. Izaya-san, you're more famous than you think." Mikado seemed to be making fun of Izaya, though in his own weird way.

"And you're getting better at changing topics. You haven't answered me yet, was it out of joy?" Izaya got back on track, showing how much he truly wanted to bother Mikado with that subject.

"Your sources must not be very good if they didn't see the whole picture. If they had, you wouldn't be asking me this question, Izaya-san." With a smile, Mikado got Izaya to give him a sarcastic sigh.

"So mean, Mikado-kun! Fine then! I'll find out some other way! I've expanded my sources since you've been gone, just for you. I'll find out everything in no time." And that was the end of the conversation for the day as Izaya strolled out of the shop, almost with a skip in his step. Anri came back a few minutes later and was not privy to what had happened.

… … …

"You know, everything makes sense now!" Erika exclaimed with a smile while her husband walked alongside her. "See, I always wondered why Shizu-chan seemed more mellowed out in the past few years. He doesn't even get angry with me when I accidentally call him 'Shizu-chan' like Iza-Iza does."

"So you're saying that because he's an uncle now, he should watch how he acts for when the boy's father talks about Shizuo-san? He wants to be the cool uncle everyone's jealous of?" Walker seemed to enjoy his wife's theories a lot more than he should.

"Now, since Mikapuu decided to keep more information hidden from me, I should have some fun with him. And you know what, the infamous Ruka-chan looks a lot like Shizu-chan!" That last line Erika murmured to Walker with glee. She had seen the child's picture in a magazine once and found the resemblance curious but now that she knew the truth, Erika felt something beyond happiness.

"A man's journey is something that can be repeated many times, Erika-san." Walker reminded his wife with a grin and saw her pout.

"Yumacchi, you're so mean! Now you're making me think about this! If Mikapuu leaves, then Anri-chan might stop that order of mine in retaliation." Erika commented while making some pouting noises. Her husband chuckled, _She probably wouldn't but I won't tell her that._

… … …

"Ruka-chan, your daddy's so mean. I bet ya anything that he knew who I was when we first met." Masaomi vented his frustrations with Ruka while the boy played with some toy cars. He had taken the day off just so he could be at the nursery at that moment.

"I apologize. But you're right. I did know. Mikado-kun showed me a picture of you both once." Kasuka showed up from behind the fake blond and was tackled to the ground by his son. "Ruka-kun, I can't breathe well. We've talked about this."

Ruka gave a loud roar of victory and ran off to greet his mother with a smile. Ruri seemed pleased with how happy her son was, despite the chuckle she held in check when Ruka tackled her husband. As Ruka ran around to play with other children waiting for their parents, Ruri sat down next to Kasuka and watched silently from the sidelines.

"So you were going to keep this quiet from me? I've kept quiet about you two! Sure, I only told Anri-chan, but that's Anri-chan! She knows how to keep quiet!" Masaomi pouted and felt a kid come by to pat him before running off.

"And I appreciate your silence but this was something that related to those I care about and it wasn't up to me to disclose their matters." Kasuka explained calmly to Masaomi but the other didn't seem pleased. "I realize you were also worried about him and that you're his best friend but we should stay out of it for the time being."

"Seriously, what happened between those two? I don't care anymore that they were friends but now I'm just curious since I was left out of the loop." Masaomi said and bopped the head of another kid who had tried to come and tap him. The child ran off laughing and Ruri held in a chuckle.

"You would have to ask Mikado-kun, I'm afraid." Kasuka explained but Masaomi immediately sighed.

Though he seemed depressed, Masaomi still managed to smile again for Kasuka. "One step at a time, then. Damn. And here I wanted to finally ask something more important to Mikado."

"Yuuhei-san, where's Ruka?" Ruri suddenly asked afraid. Her face seemed to have paled when a little girl came towards her. "You know what Ruka said? He said, you know, GAO! Then he followed something yummy out the door. He didn't listen to me. Ruka's mean."

"Oh, dear. We'll need to find him now." Kasuka didn't seem surprised at all while Ruri was worried about something else. Masaomi quickly stood up and headed over to find Saki. "Let's go Ruri-san. He shouldn't be too far." They stood up and headed outside with Masaomi once the other informed Saki.

… … …

"_Changing takes time and I ain't interested in wasting mine. Plus, you gotta be really committed to it for that to work. You're a scaredy-cat, Mikado so we'll do it differently. I know you've shown me something different but I wanna make sure that no matter what happens you won't forget this training._"

Mikado remembered those words as he walked along the path to the nearest convenience store. He sighed once he stopped walking. "Yet the first thing I do when pushed is run. What kind of wasted training did I go through in six years?"

"_Remember Mikado, breaking things is easy. People on the other hand, take a little more time, but it's just as easy. What'd they call it? Conditioning? Eh, it's something like that. Imma condition you into the biggest badass anyone's ever seen!_"

While lost in thought, Mikado failed to notice his surroundings or the semi-hostile intent behind him until it bit his hand. Surprised, he yelped in pain and looked down to see Ruka. The boy seemed pleased with himself in a very proud haughty way and proceeded to climb Mikado's arm very easily.

"Ru-Ru-Ruka-kun?" Mikado didn't know what to do as the boy reached his face and grinned.

"_Weird. You react better when people get up close to you. Is it some sorta repressed memory?_"

"_Kyaaa! What are you doing to Mikado? Pervert!_"

"_Why am I the pervert? Mikado's clearly the one with the problem!_"

At that, Mikado tried to hold in a chuckle. He couldn't help it. Ruka gave a small roar in victory and licked Mikado's cheek. Grabbing hold of the boy, he continued his trek to the convenience store in the meantime. He could find a way to get a hold of Kasuka later, though he knew the man was most likely worried about the whereabouts of his son.

"So how to resolve my biggest dilemma? Any ideas, Ruka-kun?" Mikado asked the boy, who simply nested himself into a sleeping position and immediately started a light snore. "No use asking you then."

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Unseen by Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 18:<strong> Unseen by Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> People doing things behind Mikado's back.

* * *

><p>Anri was the first to be surprised when Mikado came back, groceries in one hand and a sleeping Ruka in the other. She immediately called Masaomi, who called Kasuka in return and within another hour, Kasuka and Ruri arrived at Anri's shop. As Mikado came closer, Ruri was surprised to see her son asleep in his arms. Kasuka took the moment to take a picture of his son asleep.<p>

"He rarely falls asleep this early. He tends to be more active at night. This is cute." His doting father side was a surprise to the others but Ruri graciously accepted Ruka into her arms.

"Thank you Mikado-san. I wasn't sure if he was alright. Ruka-kun is my treasure." Ruri was happy her son was back in her arms. Her son was important to both parents but Ruri sometimes felt more attached to him since she feared for his safe being. Kasuka sometimes felt overly confident that his son would always be alright and it would always reassure his wife.

"I should be thanking you. Ruka-kun helped me remember something." Mikado's easygoing smile seemed bright to Masaomi who shielded his sight.

But the host recovered easily and smiled at his best friend. "What'd he help you remember?"

"Oh! Uh, um…" Mikado blushed and Masaomi simply got closer to see if the other would feel like answering. However, what the host didn't know was what Mikado would do to him once he got close enough. "Masaomi, you'll be mistaken for a pervert someday." He explained once he had thrown Masaomi on the floor.

The rest in the shop were caught by surprise and only Kasuka seemed unfazed by it all when he started applauding. Mikado laughed somewhat lightly and bowed to Kasuka as if it was all a show for them. After a few blinks, Masaomi recovered and got back up. "What the devils was that?"

"Oh! Um… I took a few judo classes while I was in America. I was told to do something that might help my reflexes and balance." Mikado explained somewhat shyly. It embarrassed him to speak about all that he did to get to where he was.

"By that sponsor of yours?" Anri asked curiously and Mikado smiled joyfully.

"Yes, yes! Him! He also told me to learn parkour. I believe that's what Izaya-san learned as well." Mikado explained with a soft blush on his face before he heard another click. "Um, Kasuka-san?"

"Oh, I thought I'd add this as well to my collection before I send it to…" Kasuka's mouth was covered by his wife's hand as she looked a bit embarrassed.

"Yu-Yuuhei-san, that's a scary thing you were about to say. Please save us the embarrassment." She pleaded with her husband who nodded in response. He could never say no to his beloved Ruri.

"Personally, I think it's more embarrassing to cover someone up from saying an embarrassing thing, but Imma let it slide." Masaomi thought out loud as Ruri put her hand away.

"Then we'll be taking our leave. Thank you again, Mikado-kun." Kasuka gave Mikado a light bow and left, followed by Ruri and Ruka after the woman did the same.

Immediately after they left, Masaomi turned to his best friend and cornered him. "So, you and Heiwajima-san are friends?" He asked with a slight pout and noticed the blade coming out of Anri's hand. He gulped but quickly turned serious, though he did start with a stutter. "W-well, just get your stuff cleared out! There's more pressing matters than you and Heiwajima-san's little fight!"

"Kida-kun, did you just seriously call a matter that has lasted six years a 'little fight'?" Anri asked confused, her blade back in place. Masaomi went into thought then nodded with a grin. "And what is this pressing matter that supersedes Ryugamine-kun's affair?"

"Calling it that seems so ero, Anri-chan." Masaomi giggled but looked seriously at them both. "And that matter will only be cleared once you two get your act together! So fix things Mikado! Fix them soon!" The host spoke while retreating from the shop and closing the door.

"Should I be worried?" Mikado asked curiously but Anri simply shrugged her shoulders.

… … …

"Oh, Namie-san, could you hand that over to me?" Izaya asked with a wide smile as he typed around the computers in front of him. "I see, I see. So that's what you've been doing all this time, Mikado-kun."

"Your obsession is akin to my love for Seiji. Are you sure you're not just smitten by the brat?" Namie asked curiously as she handed what Izaya wanted to him. Coming by everyday allowed Namie to be of help to Izaya and it was her plan to get on his good side first before getting him to finance what she wanted.

"Me? Smitten by Mikado-kun? Could be. I hate to lose. Oooh. So that's how he got the scar. Aw, they make a pair, don't they?" Izaya chuckled to himself, leaving Namie confused. For the moment, Izaya used his contacts to track Mikado's movements over the past six years while he was in America. He hadn't done it before since it would be like admitting he lost but now that Mikado had challenged him, it was a whole different ball game.

And since he hated to lose, Izaya planned on first getting to know his target before confronting him. Knowing all the little secrets that Mikado hid from his time abroad would give him a better chance at beating both Mikado and Shizuo. Plus, he wanted to understand the whole reasoning behind his hiding the donation thing. What was the purpose behind not being honest about it?

"Heiwajima Shizuo was the reason the brat left, wasn't it? Is that what this is about? Someone else played with your toy so you got angry?" Namie asked, eyeing her ex-boss curiously.

"So wrong, Namie-san! You've trampled all over the heart strings of a young maiden in love!" Izaya joked around with Namie, who simply shook her head and went the other way. It was a difficult job her beloved Seiji had given her but she was determined to receive the bounty. Izaya knew that well and simply grinned. _Now how should I go about asking for information from those people that Mikado hung out with over there?_

… … …

"I sent it to your phone anyways." Kasuka commented as Shizuo took his phone from his brother's hands. Tom watched them curiously since he had wondered why Kasuka was at their work place in the first place. Shizuo was about to throw his phone against the wall when Ruka cried out again happily.

"One of these days, Kasuka…" Shizuo felt like threatening his younger brother, a bit like he used to in their younger days but stopped.

"I thought it would look good as your screensaver." Kasuka said nonchalantly and saw his brother blush.

"Kasuka!" Shizuo yelled but stopped when the actor took his own phone out again and looked over to it.

"Did something happen?" Ruri asked, stepping closer to her husband. She looked surprised by the message he got and tried to look away but kept reading from it.

"What's going on?" Both Shizuo and Tom asked at the same time, the difference in their tone of voice apparent.

Kasuka looked over to his brother and the older could tell he was happy about something. Shizuo was genuinely worried but didn't dare move. Tom still had no idea what was going on and Ruri had started to leave the vicinity with her son, who seemed interested in it all.

"We've been invited to a baby shower." Kasuka replied and saw the confused look on both their faces.

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Unseen by Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 19:<strong> Unseen by Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Some more things happen around Mikado's back.

* * *

><p>"This plan is ingenious, my lady. I approve of it. Don't know what it's for but it seems like fun." Chikage gave Erika a thumbs-up as she sat in his club. Masaomi was next to her on the other side and some regular juice was brought to her for drinking. Walker was nearby, drinking water though it felt a bit disrespectful, wondering why his wife hadn't listened to him at all.<p>

"I know! Isn't it wonderful Rokucchi?" Erika asked with a wide grin.

"Yeah, but… How are we getting the two to come anyways? I don't doubt Mikado coming but you know… I highly doubt that guy's going to come when his brother apparently seems to dislike making either of the two uncomfortable." Masaomi asked worried for a moment but Erika slapped his back happily.

"Man up, Kida-kun! We're doing this for the sake of friendship!" Erika yelled with a grin, trying to hide the line of drool falling from the side of her mouth. _No one believes your lie though_, a unison of thoughts collided but never voiced it out.

"So then what now?" Masaomi asked as he sipped from his drink. The plan was half done anyways and the hard part would come later but he imagined that there might be preparations to be done.

"If you still want to give me a real one, get Saki-chan to make the preparations. I'll leave the destination to her." Erika winked at the blond host and felt Chikage move to face Masaomi.

"I can ask some of the girls to help out with that if Saki-chan needs help. They adore parties like those, even though they try to hide it from me." Chikage offered with a grin.

"Nah, I'm sure Saki's got it covered. If not, she'll get her own friends to help out. But anyways, what do you even want Erika-san?" Masaomi turned the focus on her since it was supposed to be her baby shower.

"Well…" Erika started going into thought and Walker shot her a look that shut her up. "Just get me essentials, Kida-kun. Don't sweat the small details!" With that, the conversation stopped at that point. Nothing else could be said for the moment.

… … …

"Of course it's diapers." Aoba and the professor spoke at the same time. Kururi nodded in agreement, enjoying the fact that Aoba had her in a piggyback ride. Mikado was done for the day and Aoba managed to track Mikado to his workplace thanks to Kururi, who apparently had demanded the ride in exchange for the information.

"Diapers? Don't you think everyone else will give diapers? It's the most basic thing." Mikado seemed worried but his professor sighed deeply.

"You're underestimating babies, Ryugamine-kun!" He pointed the accusing finger to his assistant. "The one thing that you'll always need are diapers! The cruelty of midnight pooping, the just-before-dinner pooping, the INBETWEEN-DINNER pooping! It's all horrendous!"

"How is your daughter by the way?" Mikado turned the conversation to something pleasant before he was engrossed in details. Aoba and Kururi seemed thankful for that.

"Oh, she's ignoring me again. She's decided on taking a long vacation out of the country before going to her next job. I swear, I think she likes charities more than her father. I wish she'd take a job closer to home." The professor cried in silence as Mikado decided to ignore the old man.

"Was there something you needed Aoba-kun?" Mikado decided to ask since there was nothing else to talk about now. Aoba shook his head, along with Kururi and the older one understood that they were just there to pass the time. With a sigh, he heard a recognizable jingle on his phone. Smiling, he picked up the call but was unable to say anything when the person on the other side screamed.

[_Imma kill you Mikado! I'm going to seriously murder ya! Heck, I'm going to go right there, right now and chop you into little pieces!_] The remaining three bystanders were in shock, much like Mikado, who tried covering his ear. [_I told you I didn't wanna waste my time! And why the hell are we being questioned? Tell that Izaya prick I don't want to hear his voice again!_]

The line was cut and Mikado paled at those words. The other three looked confused about what was going on as Mikado quickly dialed back the one who called him. "_It wasn't what you think! And how did he get a hold of you anyways?_"

"What's going on?" Aoba asked the professor curiously, watching with interest how Mikado tried to keep himself calm while on the phone.

"Looks like Ryugamine-kun is trying to explain something to the other caller. Oh, the person is fighting back. Let's see, something about six years of wasted training and something about a…hunny bunny?" The professor tried to pick what was being yelled but the one on the other line was speaking too fast. "Now Ryugamine-kun is explaining how he felt intimidated? By whom?"

"Maybe Shizuo-san. There's something really weird going on between them. I hate being left out of the loop." Aoba pouted but noticed the warmth coming from Kururi's body. He looked behind him to see her red face and glanced at the professor to notice him the same. "What just…?"

Mikado turned around to face them with a bright smile. "Well, that was fun. I've just been given a time limit. Now what do I do?" He laughed nervously as he rested his hand on the nearest table. Somehow, the others could tell that he had been exhausted mentally by that conversation. But Mikado quickly recovered to give Kururi a message. "Oh, Kururi-chan, next time I see your brother, it won't matter if I kill him myself, right?"

Kururi shook her head in response and spoke. "Luck."

"Thank you, Kururi-chan." Mikado beamed her such a bright smile that the rest were left wondering what could've caused the change in the one before them.

… … …

Ruka eyed his uncle with a bright and curious smile. Shizuo was resting on Kasuka's couch as the celebrity couple enjoyed an afternoon tea free of worries. It was odd that Kasuka had so much free time lately, especially since he was still pretty famous. It wasn't so odd for Ruri though, since the songstress had decided to take work only when it suited her ever since she was pregnant. She still did a few songs and shows during the year.

"Brother, have you decided?" Kasuka asked curiously and saw his brother sit up, catching the rolling Ruka before he fell to the floor.

"Why do I have to go anyways? I'm not her friend." Shizuo asked again, slightly grumbling.

"Well, we were invited for a reason, don't you think so? Or are you afraid of something?" Kasuka asked, getting up to pick up his son.

Shizuo ruffled his hair in desperation and looked over to Kasuka with a lost look. "How long do I have to wait?" Ruri didn't understand the significance of the question but her husband did.

"It might be better to give it a few more days." He replied with a nod. Whatever it was, Ruri still didn't grasp the meaning and decided not to bother with it.

Ruka gave a loud roar and the three were caught by surprise. Kasuka took out his phone and his son smelled it with curiosity, trying to bite it. "Looks like we'll have to go. Ruka-kun's instincts are as good as brother's so he can't be wrong."

"What are you talking about, Kasuka?" Shizuo asked curiously, eyeing his nephew. As much love as he had for the child, there were a few things the couple was keeping hidden, even from him.

… … …

"What the hell are you doing now?" Namie looked up at Izaya, who was hanging upside down from the balcony of his second floor hallway. The man seemed to be deep in thought when he grinned.

"Right. Let's go play that day too. I wonder what kind of face Mikado-kun will show me?" With that response, Namie shook her head and moved away, noticing on the calendar a reminder with a baby sticker on it. Only slightly wondering what that could mean, Namie continued to do her other work.

**To Be Continued…**


	21. Unseen by Change 3

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 20:<strong> Unseen by Change 3  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> A few last things happen behind Mikado's back.

* * *

><p>"Over here, Ruri-san." Saki spoke over the phone to the mother and waved to her. Ruri quickly hung up and headed over to the two girls. Anri was wondering why she had brought Ruka with her but the child grinned in her direction, as if reading her thoughts and she decided to keep the comment to herself.<p>

"Where shall we go first?" The celebrity asked, making sure her son stayed in place.

"We'll look at some stores in this area then join Erika-san for lunch. She'll tour the rest of the shops with us." Saki explained and both females nodded, following her lead.

As the three exited the station, they went around each and every shop in the vicinity. They looked at clothes, goods and even electronic stores. All three were searching for gifts, but more importantly, a location. They asked salons, karaoke bars and other stores for advice where to hold the baby shower and for prices on that type of event. Around noon, Saki got a phone call from Erika.

"She says she'll join us at the café around the corner. Shall we go?" Saki asked the other two who nodded in response while Ruka tried to escape his mother's arms.

They passed by another store on the way before entering the meeting place. Quickly spotting Erika, all four joined her. Ruka managed to escape his mother's grasp and got on top of the seat where Erika was and rubbed the belly. He smiled and gave his usual roar, causing his mother to worry.

"No, no, Ruka-kun. It's not certain that the baby will be a girl. You can't claim it." Ruri took her son into her arms again as she sat down in front of Erika. "I'm so sorry, Yumasaki-san."

"Oh, call me Erika! And I'm flattered Ruka-chan but my baby will be twin boys!" Erika proudly stated, though she and Walker had decided to be surprised during birth rather than knowing beforehand. There was a small betting pool going on between Walker and her. "Oh, but if you still want them…" She grinned and Saki placed a hand on her mouth after sitting down. There was no need for the pregnant woman to get overexcited at the moment.

"Erika-san, we brought a map along today." Anri offered as she opened the map of the city in front of them. "If it's the official one, we've quite liked some places around this area."

"Oh, I know those shops." Erika mused happily, looking over the locations of the other shops the three toured beforehand. Saki and Ruri took the chance to call for a waitress so they could order something to eat for them all. "And for the unofficial one?"

"I'm not certain what type of plan you have so I don't know what I can offer." Anri replied calmly.

"I think a karaoke place could be nice. For both, I mean. It's a closed space." Saki offered with a small smile after she finished ordering.

"Wouldn't the damages be severe?" Ruri asked and proceeded to ask for food for both her and Ruka.

"We'll need to place one in first and get them drunk. Any suggestions who?" Erika grinned mischievously as she heard Anri place her order.

"I would say Mikado-kun. He looks the type to be surprisingly honest when drunk." Izaya popped in out of nowhere, effectively scaring them all. His Cheshire grin was wide and it felt like he wanted to sit down next to them. "Don't you think so?"

"You want to join this plan? Why, Iza-Iza? Jealous?" Erika grinned in return, eyeing accusingly.

"Very much so, Erika-san." Izaya replied and the three women didn't know if he was being honest but Erika enjoyed the response nonetheless. "Now, how about I help out?"

"No thanks." Erika quickly answered, surprising the two women of the same age. They had honestly thought that Erika would agree with that offer since it seemed like something she would enjoy. "If you join, I won't be able to stick to my script. You'll just blow it out of proportions. And besides, knowing you, you'd just try to hide Mikapuu away from us instead of helping."

Izaya tried to look innocent by shrugging his shoulders. "Well, since you don't think I'll be of help, I can't do much. But this shop has a big enough space for your party, I would say. And the prices are fair." Izaya made the suggestion by pointing to the location of one of the shops in the area the three women looked. With that, he made his exit gracefully.

"What do you think, Erika-san?" Anri asked cautiously, worried this might be a trap by Izaya.

"Actually, it's pretty close by and the area looks reasonable for us. Even if it's Iza-Iza's trap, it could be beneficial. So, how about we make use of it?" Erika grinned in response, wondering how to tackle whatever possible plan Izaya had.

… … …

Masaomi stared at the item in his drawer with such intensity, he swore he was drilling a hole into it. Even Saki saw it whenever she put the clean clothes back in but she never said anything regarding it. With a sigh, Masaomi closed the drawer again. He had been about to head out to work when he turned back around to stare at it. Thoughts kept formulating in his mind. He was determined to see this through. Now if only Mikado would get his act together. He'd been waiting six years already to do this. He grumbled and closed the drawer before actually leaving this time.

… … …

"That smells so yummy!" Mairu said from the living room and Kururi agreed as both girls waited alongside Aoba. Mikado had taken over their kitchen, preparing from cookies to brownies to cakes without stopping.

When the first batch of cookies came out, Aoba brought them to the drooling twins, who quickly proceeded to munch on them. Their landlord returned to the kitchen to look for something to give them to drink as well. In his mouth was one of the cookies, which he carefully savored.

"You know, when I first heard Aoba-kun say you knew how to bake, I thought he was making it up! I never pegged you for a sugar maniac." Mairu said without hesitation and with a bright smile. "But I have to admit, this is really good!" She gave him a loud moan of pleasure and took another cookie to her mouth.

"Delightful." Kururi acknowledged with a bright smile as she finished her third cookie in a quick fashion that caused her cheeks to resemble a hamster's. Aoba sighed and shook his head as he came closer to the older twin.

"Swallow your food before putting more in, Kururi." He scolded her while cleaning the edges of her mouth of the melted chocolate. Mairu looked pleased by the action and so did Mikado, who noticed them from the open kitchen. Before Aoba could notice them staring, he saw Kururi gulp her food down and bring his face close for a kiss.

Mairu took the drinks from the tray in his other hand before he dropped them from shock and placed them on the table. She headed for the kitchen and tried to focus away from her adorable older twin and the scene she was causing. "So, why'd you start baking? I can imagine Anri-sempai baking but somehow, you don't strike me as a housewife."

"I don't think every housewife knows how to bake. That itself is pretty insulting to them Mairu-chan. Besides, you'd be surprised by how many men bake in America. There are plenty of shows dedicated to them." Mikado explained with a soft smile and offered her the spoon of raw brownie mixture, which Mairu took gladly.

"Yeah, but when I think about sweets I can only think of Shizuo-san and Vorona-san. Aw, I miss Vorona-san. I haven't gotten a report from her in a while." Mikado knew who Mairu was talking about but he never had a direct conversation with said woman so he had no idea what to say. "Oh, I managed to steal Vorona-san from Tom-san and Shizuo-san so she's been working for me and Kuru-nee for a while now. It's been a while since we placed her undercover though."

Mikado nodded understandingly but kept quiet and focused on the cooking. Mairu noticed there wasn't much else to talk about before she remembered about her unanswered question. "So, why'd you start baking?"

"Oh, right." Mikado sighed as he compared Mairu to her brother in his mind. Of course, he didn't say as much to her since it seemed pretty insulting. "It was actually to express my thanks to someone. And then I couldn't stop… And then…" Mairu watched as Mikado slowly lowered himself to the ground, bowl of mixture and another spoon in hand. She didn't know but Mikado was recalling the memories that shook his whole core.

"Sempai?" Both Aoba and Kururi came closer, a look of worry in their eyes.

"Okay?" Kururi asked and tried to whisper as close to him as possible. "_Time limit_?"

Mikado quickly got up and looked shocked at the older twin. His blush caused Aoba to feel confused while Mairu wondered what her sister had meant since she understood English. "You heard the whole conversation?" Mikado asked as he took a step back and saw the girl nod in response.

"Hey, what's going on?" Mairu asked, hating the fact that she was being left behind in the conversation. "Kuru-nee, tell me what you meant by 'time limit'!"

"Time limit? You mean the one you were given, sempai? Of that conversation you had over the phone that for some reason involved Shizuo-san?" Aoba laid bare all the facts he knew in one breath and got Mairu's attention, who now looked pissed because she really was being left behind. "He was after you that day too. The fact that he ignored Izaya-san for you is the most shocking to me."

Mairu looked around at their faces, her mind about ready to scream for some attention. "It's my fault this is happening. I should have gone to see him the first day I arrived. Why did I let it go for this long? I'm going to get killed at this rate…"

"Will someone please answer me?" Mairu yelled, banging her hands on the countertop.

"Baking helps me concentrate." Mikado simply said and only Aoba nodded in agreement to that statement. Kururi looked for the tray of abandoned cookies and the drinks, deciding to stay near the chef at the moment with Aoba. Mairu pouted and, against her wishes, waited with the others there as well.

**To Be Continued…**


	22. Challenging the Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 21:<strong> Challenging the Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Utter chaos begins!

* * *

><p>Erika had chosen a Sunday because she knew well that Mikado didn't have work and Anri could close up her shop without worry. Masaomi took the whole day off just so he could accompany Saki, who obviously didn't work weekends. Aoba had shut off his phone to take the day free but still had to wait for the twins before he could go anywhere. Kyohei had actually checked to make sure he didn't have any jobs in his schedule before heading out and Saburou made plans to leave his bar closed. Walker was planning on having his schedule cleared up but had one delivery to make before he could be in the clear.<p>

"He'll be here soon, Erika. Calm down." Kyohei urged the woman to sit down as it was still early. The rented room looked too empty for her tastes and the food had, for some unknown reason, been delivered early. Saki was outside with Masaomi, their present already inside in a corner. The nursery worker was on the phone with Walker, asking how long it would take him to arrive.

"He'd better not be working when I'm giving birth, too! He's lucky this is only a test run." Erika grumbled under her breath, earning a look of confusion from Kyohei. "Oh! Don't worry Dotachin! Everything will be okay!"

"What are you doing and why?" Kyohei seemed about to threaten her when Saki came back inside.

"Yumasaki-san said he would be here within half an hour. As long as Togusa-san doesn't crash or gets them arrested." Saki quickly explained with a smile and grabbed the drink Masaomi offered to her.

All three saw Erika pout but recover quickly. "And our guests of honor?" Kyohei immediately raised his eyebrow in confusion. He knew now something was up.

"Anri-chan texted me saying they're on their way. And Yuuhei-san also said they were pretty nearby." Masaomi reported with a grin, looking over to his phone when he felt it vibrating. "What happened, Chikage-san? Bored already?"

"Of course this thing weighs, Mairu! That's why I've been asking for help for the last hour!" Kururi opened the door to the room with a small salute and a gift in hand. Mairu entered after her with a loud laugh and held the door for Aoba, who arrived with another gift and a package of food. "Sempai made way too much. I should've never agreed to bring it all."

Erika saluted the twins as Aoba looked for a space to drop everything. "You brought food?"

"Mikado-san." Kururi nodded with a happy look.

"And I'm still pissed no one is telling me anything, by the way!" Mairu pouted and took one of the bowls Aoba carried to offer some sweets to Erika. "Here, Mikado-san has been making them for the last two days. They're really good."

Erika took the offered piece of brownie and broke into a smile. "Awesome! This tastes wonderful! Mikapuu made them? Ooh! So this is probably for…"

"They taste just like before." Kasuka's voice interrupted them as he munched on a piece of cookie he stole from Aoba's hand. "Ruka-kun, if you behave, I'll give this to you. Will you stay still?" He turned to his son, who was being held like a sac in his hands. The young boy responded with a smile and was placed on the floor.

Once on the floor, the boy stole a cookie from Aoba as well and handed it to his mother. "I thought I'd never taste these again." Ruri said with a soft smile and she offered half of her cookie to her son, soon after his father had done the same.

"You both knew about Mikado-sempai being able to bake? How? And why are you people here anyways?" Aoba suddenly asked as Shizuo looked for the right moment to go in. He was carrying the gifts Kasuka and Ruri bought for the expectant mother. From his position he could hear their conversations and thought it best to stay outside.

"Ryugamine-san knows how to bake?" Saki asked, though no one made any move to answer her. Even Masaomi, who had been trying to have a conversation over the phone hadn't noticed anything.

"It's because I asked them to bring me a guest!" Erika laughed as she answered with a bright laugh. She was enjoying her show now. The blond bouncer outside realized he was being tricked by his family members but was unable to make the choice to leave when he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Anri-chan said WHAT about Mikado?" Masaomi screamed loud enough to catch everyone's attention.

Only Ruri fainted, but for the wrong reasons. "Ruka-kun ran off again." Her husband had said.

… … …

"Okay, so he was coerced? And you didn't go?" Chikage asked Anri with a confused look as he hung up the phone call to Masaomi since he didn't enjoy the scream from the other side.

"Ryugamine-kun asked me not to accompany him. He said he'd be alright." Anri explained but already regretted her decision by the time she had run into Chikage. Thinking back on it, Mikado had seen relatively calm for only a moment before he suddenly panicked and then returned to his perky foreigner-ish exterior. It made Anri worry and freeze in place.

Chikage remained quiet for the moment. It might've been a bad idea to leave the kid alone, especially since they needed him somewhere else but he had no idea where Izaya could've taken him. As he thought about what they could do, a loud and incessant honking caught their attention. Both turned towards the street light, where the familiar van tried to get people to move. Immediately, they headed over.

… … …

"Well, I suppose I can calmly say that I just didn't want to comply with Erika-san's scheme." Izaya spoke honestly as he sipped some of his beverage with ease. He had taken Mikado to a café he knew well in order to have a small talk. Though Mikado had agreed to accompany him, Izaya was glad he had managed to forcibly get his cooperation with the information he had now.

"Scheme, you say? I believe it's only you who's scheming here Izaya-san. By the way, I wanted to say that I didn't enjoy you calling my friends in order to bother them." Mikado told him calmly as he sipped some of his tea. It had a strange flavor but he enjoyed it nonetheless, considering it was Izaya who ordered it for him.

"I was just extending my greetings, Mikado-kun. Besides, I was challenged, remember? You said my sources weren't very good." Izaya seemed about ready to begin his plan. He just needed to prolong this a bit more.

"Ah, that's right. I did say that. And what did you find out?" Mikado asked as he felt his phone vibrating. He could've picked it up now, but he needed all of his attention on the informant at the moment.

Taking another soft sip, Izaya replied. "Mikado-kun, you have a scar on your arm, don't you? You got it by saving someone. And it seems you even needed a transfusion once you arrived at the hospital."

"That's right. I was saved at the same time I saved. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no. I don't really care. I just found it interesting how you two would dive in to danger only to save a complete stranger." Mikado tightened his lower lip for only a moment before Izaya continued. "It also seems as though you got pretty famous during your time abroad. There were loads of things you did that I never expected you to participate in."

Trying not to reveal too much with his expression, Mikado smiled and asked. "Oh, really? What sort of things were they that you never expected me to do them?"

"Oh, you know. Martial arts, clubbing, competitions. There are way too many to list right now. You see Mikado-kun, you've never been the type to suddenly throw yourself in a crowd and perform for many people. Was it necessary? Along with the blood donation?" He hit a nerve there and it was clearly visible.

"That particular subject relates to a promise I made. I will tell you this right now, Izaya-san. That is the one thing I will not allow you to desecrate. My promise with the two of them." Mikado's eyes pierced into him and Izaya found it hilarious.

"So that means I can desecrate anything else? Like, say, about you and Shizu-chan?" When he got closer, Mikado realized something was wrong. Izaya's voice sounded distant now.

"_I'll watch your back here. Getting drugged ain't a pretty sight. But if you find yourself in that position, especially alone, it'll be very hard to get out of it, Mikado. I can't suggest anything pleasant. Just make sure you don't fall asleep._"

Like an obedient child, Mikado picked up the knife by his side.

**To Be Continued…**


	23. Challenging the Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 22:<strong> Challenging the Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> More chaos! Courtesy of Ruka-chan!

* * *

><p>It was a bloody event six years in the making. Those involved could sense it. In simple terms, it consisted of two forces spinning around each other and a third meddlesome one that wished to simply create chaos. Of course, there were bystanders as well and most of them simply kept their mouths shut while others tried to make sense of the event by interacting with the forces but it all ended for naught. Yet none of that mattered at the moment.<p>

Walking by his lonesome, and without any adult actually noticing him, was Ruka. He was somehow singing a nostalgic song of the otaku pair that had puppy-like lyrics. If they had heard the young child, they definitely would have tried to steal the boy for themselves. Of course, since he was alone, no one managed to notice it.

At the moment he was searching for something. It wasn't the first time he had gone out to look for it, but it was the first time it had been far from him. His mother often tried to keep him from anything that interested him too much; however, this time, he just couldn't help but really love the scent of that. If anyone should be blamed, it was his parents for feeding him.

On the way to where it should be, he saw the lady whose scent seemed scary at times, but peaceful at other moments. It seemed like she was with the father of his bride but none of that was important right now. Even if the man seemed to have heard him, it was impossible for him to locate the boy.

"Gao…" The young Ruka got tired and sat down. If he could wonder how far his sought-for thing was, he would. But Ruka didn't seem to care about such a thing. All he wanted was something to drink.

Suddenly, he heard a crash nearby and got curious. He resembled a puppy or a kitten in curiosity sometimes. It troubled his mother to no end. But, seeing as Ruka was a child, it mattered little to him what his mother felt. All he knew right now was that he found it.

… … …

"Remember, if you manage to catch Ruka-kun, just give me a call. I'll talk to him." Kasuka calmly told his brother and saw him off. Of course, this was a scene from about five minutes ago, and no one but Kyohei had actually listened to him so his words had fallen on the deaf ears of the intended person.

"I seriously wish he wouldn't run this fast!" Masaomi tried to vent out his anger at Kyohei as both men continued after the violence-incarnate man. Kasuka would say his brother's instincts were right, but the moment he heard Chikage talking to Anri, even Masaomi knew something was wrong.

Izaya was usually at the center of anything suspicious. Not that the whole baby shower of that day wasn't suspicious either. Erika had planned on doing something low-key in where nothing was destroyed, possibly even threatening anyone by placing her and her belly in the middle of the destruction. Unfortunately for her, maybe, her husband was much too overprotective of her. So for the moment, Erika decided to give them some backup from the karaoke bar by using the beloved Ikebukuro Community Group; the Dollars.

What no one expected was what did turn up in the middle of the destruction.

"Hey, Shizuo! Go left! Left!" Kyohei tried to catch his attention. Erika had sent him more information about where Izaya had been seen and things did not look good. For some reason, she had told him that the two had begun to fight it out inside some café. How, he didn't know; but he feared that Mikado wouldn't have much of a chance against the informant.

"Heiwajima-san! Damn it! We'll leave you behind if you don't head left, NOW!" Masaomi yelled and Shizuo did as told after almost crashing against the wall of the corner he was turning on. Though Masaomi and Kyohei were glad the man was complying for the moment, they feared he might run too fast and lose them. Well, they weren't exactly expecting help from him but since Izaya was in the middle of this problem, they knew he would try to kill the man yet again.

As they neared the café, they began to hear loud noises. It almost sounded like crashes. And then something did crash; literally through the café window. All three saw that it was Izaya.

"What the hell…?" Masaomi was the first to question the scene.

"Is that all, Izaya-san?" Mikado's voice could be heard and once the sought-for man came out of the café, through the very same broken window, only Kyohei noticed something odd first. "I guess you're getting a bit rusty. I win this challenge then. Is that satisfactory, Ruka-sama?"

"Gao!" Ruka celebrated happily and began to drool. He seemed to be hungry at the moment.

Shizuo glanced at Izaya for a moment and saw him unconscious before he moved his eyes towards Mikado. He noticed the other's glance seemed distant, as if he couldn't even notice anything, despite talking almost normally. Taking one step forward, Shizuo called out to him. "Mikado…"

A twitch noticed only by Ruka. The young child looked up curiously, then at his uncle and finally grinned mischievously. Masaomi and Kyohei noticed his grin and felt a shiver run down their spine. In his mind, Kyohei could hear Kasuka's warning.

"…_if you manage to catch Ruka-kun_…"

That was a very big IF right now as Mikado ran off without a word to any of them. "Mikado!" Both Shizuo and Masaomi called out for the other but they were ignored.

And then another race began.

… … …

"Aw, come on! Isn't anyone nearby to tell me what's going on?" Erika yelled at the laptop in her hands angrily. For a few minutes now, since one particular post, no one in the forum had answered her call. It was really strange.

"Kururi! Damn it, let me go! I have to save sempai!" Aoba struggled alone as Kururi had him pinned to the sofa. It was the only reason he wasn't able to go with the other three to find Mikado. He hated it so much but Kururi wasn't budging at all.

"Come on, Aoba-kun! They'll be back before you know it with Mikado-san! It's not like Iza-nii can simply kidnap him in broad daylight! Even he's not that dumb! Just wait patiently and eat another cookie!" Mairu said joyfully as she stuffed a cookie in her landlord's mouth. The other replied something, possibly obscene, but wasn't understood because of the cookie. "Aren't they good, Yuuhei-san?"

"They are. But I am a little worried about there being no response from the Dollars. I think Ruka-kun liked the food a lot." Kasuka said something cryptic and felt his wife stir below him. He had rested her head on his lap at the moment.

As Saki turned to ask something of him, they saw Ruri rise upwards without a single sound. She seemed like a newly risen hero after the despair of defeat. "Ruka is playing around? Is that it, Kasuka-san?" The fact that she didn't care about who might be listening was interesting by itself, but no one could say anything. No one but her husband anyways.

"Yes, I believe so. But in all fairness, I believe we are to blame for this blunder." He spoke honestly to her and saw her look at him with a dejected look before finally breathing a sigh.

"I apologize for being so worried about this. I will do something about it now, as his mother." Ruri seemed somewhat hesitant but, at the same time, determined to do what needed to be done.

"No, I should apologize for not being able to do anything either. But please don't scold Ruka-kun too much. I don't wish for him to doubt himself like brother does." It was the one thing Kasuka wished to avoid, which proved how much he cared for his son and why he always doted on him.

"Of course. All I will do is stop him. Mairu-san, will you accompany me?" Ruri asked the bodyguard, who stood up happily only after Kasuka gave her a requesting nod.

"Hey! Take me as well!" Aoba complained to the two but Mairu simply grinned at him as they left the room as well. Erika seemed about to ask something when someone began posting something on the forum. It had ignited a spark in the rest and she found the whole situation interesting enough to leave but both her husband and Kyohei had given specific instructions to Saki to not let the pregnant woman out of her sight. She was dangerous on her own; they knew that much.

**To Be Continued…**


	24. Challenging the Change 3

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 23:<strong> Challenging the Change 3  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> People going about in circles.  
><strong>AN:** Did anyone notice what sort of song I had Ruka sing? Also, anyone like the story cover I placed? It's from this post on my DA (just use the name and everything after the slash art code, FF hates me right now): kiki-shinigami deviantart /art /Change-ch0-04-267244824

* * *

><p>"Even Izaya-san is gone? But he was here just a while ago, right?" Walker asked curiously, eyeing the surroundings of the café. The waitress nodded, somewhat confused as she wasn't entirely sure what had happened in the short period of time. It seemed that there was a crash and Mikado stood up, looking a bit pale. Izaya commented something and Mikado yelled back some things. But then, after that, everything became fuzzy. All that the waitress remembered was that she heard a soft roar.<p>

"Oi, listen to this interesting story!" Chikage came from the kitchen with his arm around a cook's shoulder. "Go on, tell 'em what you told me." He seemed to be threatening the cook, who whimpered and spoke up.

"W-well… Orihara-san… He, uh, he asked me to prepare their drinks…'cuz I owed him… So I put some…some…d-drugs…" The cook stammered as all four stared at him but Anri was the most shocked. "But he should've fallen unconscious! And he didn't! I, uh, don't know what happened. And I was in the kitchen…so I didn't see."

"Good, good. Now let me escort you back to there." Chikage said with a glint in his eyes.

"I can't believe Izaya-san would do something like that. Was he really planning on kidnapping Mikado-kun in broad daylight?" Walker asked himself and noticed Anri bent down next to the table where the two had been. The man saw the young woman and headed towards her curiously. "What is it, Anri-chan?"

"There's blood here. Ryugamine-kun or Izaya-san is injured. I can't tell which." Anri was worried, not for the informant, never for that man, but rather for her friend. She wondered what the informant had done to him.

Saburou comes back to them after asking something to the manager. "There isn't security video. They've been off for a week. I think this was part of his plan." He gave his opinion and points outside. "Should we try to see where they headed off to?"

Walker thinks it through and receives a message from his beloved partner. After reading, he seems in shock. "We'll have to hurry. Looks like it isn't really over yet. Shizuo-san is after Mikado-kun now and, for some reason, Ruka-kun is also in the middle of this mess." Walker showed them the image of a blurry Mikado holding onto a child they all quickly recognized.

… … …

"_My, my. Doesn't that hurt? You're not Shizu-chan, you know?_"

"_Even if I'm not like him, my hatred for you right now could compare to his._"

"_Hey, don't get mad at me. You made the challenge. Aren't you tired yet?_"

"_Izaya-san, you've never been honest with me. I know this, but what do you want? What could you possibly crave so much that you'd bother even the one person you despise the most?_"

"_Isn't that obvious? It's always been you. I find that breaking you is the most pleasing thing for me._"

"_That's so useless, Izaya-san._"

"_I still think it's mimicry, by the way._"

"_After all, I'm already…_"

"_GAO!_"

_Interesting… My memory doesn't go beyond the small roar. I wonder what it was._ Izaya smirked to himself as he watched the string of comments that he caused. He might've bashed himself a bit with it, but it served its purpose. Everyone was now diligently keeping an eye out for Mikado, who seemed to be carrying a child in his arms.

After stretching a bit, he assessed the damage given to him. Mikado had managed to break his arm. It surprised Izaya that such a thin figure could deal that much damage. He had a few scratches all over as well, not just from the glass window he was kicked out through, but from the knife that Mikado had picked up.

Trying to hold in his chuckles, Izaya remembered how the teen paled while forcing himself awake. He should have fallen unconscious by then but it seemed as though his willpower was higher. It reminded him of someone he hated. The similarities between the two irked him now and he wondered how wrong could he be when Mikado resembled that ex-bartender so much then?

[What do you need, idiot?] Namie's voice on the other side of the line was the same as always. No doubt the woman was following his movements through the forum he left open on his computer, but that wasn't important to him right now.

"You sure you want to call me an idiot. I sign your checks, you know." Izaya joked around on reflex, failing to realize one important detail.

[I don't work for you, moron. You haven't said that you'd hire me again.] Namie bluntly retorted.

"Ah, but now I might not even pay you the work you've done these last few days. Not to mention that little thing you want of me." Izaya laughed, not missing a beat.

[…What do you want?] She eventually asked without any mocking comment.

"Just a few things, really." Izaya tried to think about how he could work things out to his advantage and gave Namie two easy instructions.

… … …

"So, I know this is a totally wrong time to ask, but since when have you been calling him by his first name? I'm actually feeling pretty jealous here. I thought I was the only one who called my best friend, 'Mikado'." Masaomi asked as he managed to catch up to Shizuo. They had lost Mikado twice already and were waiting for information from Erika.

"What exactly do you know?" Shizuo asked hesitantly. He didn't want to reveal too much since it didn't have anything to do with Masaomi, as far as he knew anyways.

"Just bits and pieces. Like, Heiwajima-san and Mikado were friends six years ago. Something happened and Mikado ran away. Now he came back and is still avoiding you even though he's trying to find enough courage to face you." Masaomi explained and Shizuo looked to be in shock. "Ah, but, I think Anri-chan knows more about it, she just won't tell me. I don't really care but I'd appreciate it if you two resolved your problems already. I need Mikado for something important."

"Now, look here you. I'll just say this once before I get pissed off. This isn't any of your business." Shizuo warned Masaomi with a glare, taking a step closer to him. Kyohei noticed them and kept watch just in case Shizuo decided to hurt Masaomi. The last thing they needed right now was infighting.

Masaomi quickly frowned and retorted, "Actually, it became my business the moment Mikado became my best friend. I worry about him, and no matter how much I tease him, that's not going to change. I'd rather you disappear and be done with Mikado's problem."

"Hey, Erika just read that they got seen somewhere near the station." Kyohei intervened, thinking something might've happened soon. The two fake blonds turned towards Kyohei and followed him.

… … …

The room wasn't dark and neither was the outside, but Namie felt as though it were. She was looking for the recordings of the security footage Izaya likes to tape around his apartment. He had set the damn things up to keep tabs on people and in case he needed leverage against anyone in particular. The footage she needed at the moment was of the day she had come back. Izaya sounded as though he wanted to check if something had happened that day. Namie didn't care, really. She just wanted her pay for personal reasons.

Unfortunately for her, when she finally found the footage, she saw nothing.

**To Be Continued…**


	25. Challenging the Change 4

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 24:<strong> Challenging the Change 4  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Additional players to the game.

* * *

><p>Shizuo and Masaomi arrived first. Kyohei was a step behind them. Izaya arrived shortly after them and quickly hid himself from view. Ruri and Mairu came just a few minutes later and joined up with the three men. They were about to separate and look around the area when, from the supermarket in front of them, appeared Mikado with Ruka in one arm and groceries in the other.<p>

"This is anticlimactic." Masaomi was the first to speak the moment Mikado dropped the groceries to the ground. He was clearly looking at Shizuo when that happened, though the young Ruka was staring at his mother in fear. "Wait, what's with all the sweets?" For some reason, Masaomi was more surprised by the contents of the grocery bags.

Ruka's soft whimpering caught Kyohei and Masaomi's attention for the moment. Then, very quickly, Mikado brought Ruka to him and tried to calm him down by whispering softly like a mother would. "Ruka, stop it! That's enough!" Ruri scolded the young boy for no reason that was apparent to the rest.

"Ruka-sama requires something of me. I must do as he says." Mikado spoke softly to Ruri, his face looking slightly pale.

"Ruka, Kasuka-san values your individualism, and so do I, but so help me if you don't stop…" Ruri sounded a bit threatening and Mairu quickly jumped in to try and grab Ruka away from Mikado but the other jumped to the side. Masaomi and Kyohei were surprised as Shizuo took the chance to pin Mikado along with Mairu.

However, before they managed to get close enough, the swish of various knives stopped their tracks. They knew very well who threw them and tried to find where the man was hiding but they weren't able to spot him. By the time they looked back at Mikado, they noticed he had already gotten a head start.

"Oh, come on! Don't you people get tired of running?" Masaomi sounded exhausted as he dashed after the two. Kyohei and Ruri were right behind him, the older male looking slightly surprised that Ruri could keep up with them.

… … …

"Can I, at the very least, see this stupid comment?" Aoba didn't sound very convinced about the words Erika had uttered earlier. Kururi was currently making sure her landlord stayed in her grasp, not letting go of his body at any moment.

Erika shrugged and passed the computer to Saki, who walked over to the prisoner and let him read it for himself. He almost burst out laughing the moment he saw it and so did Kururi. Even Saki had found it as good laughing material but she kept that to herself as she returned the computer to Erika. "Okay, Kururin, I think you can let go of Kurocchi now. Though if he runs, feel free to restrain him again."

Kururi obeyed and let go of Aoba, sitting down right next to him when he had finally sat up straight. There was really nothing he could do now but wait. He hated that. After all, much like everyone else, he had done his fair share of waiting. Six years worth.

"Augh! I can't stand this!" Five seconds later, Aoba had stood up. Kururi was ready to tackle him while the remaining three just stared at him. "Give me that mike! I'll just sing my frustrations away!"

"Nice idea!" Erika commented with a grin and Kasuka nodded in agreement. Saki stood up and looked for the microphone and controller, plus the list of songs. After passing the microphone to Aoba, both began to look in the list for something to sing.

Soon enough, they got a head start on the party.

… … …

"Ryugamine-kun is injured." Anri's eye began to glow in retaliation. Chikage found it interesting but the other two were caught by surprise. There was clear hostility in the woman's voice. And though they didn't know it, Anri was thinking of the many ways in which she could cut up Izaya into tiny pieces. She was really angry.

"We don't know how much though, Anri-chan. So please calm yourself down. If we can't keep a level headed mind, Izaya-san will win." Walker reminded her coolly, though he was ready to kill the man too.

"Anyways, why'd the kid stop here to buy sweets anyways? If he hasn't noticed his injury, he'll soon regret it." Saburou made the observation and Chikage concurred. Though they didn't know how badly Mikado was injured, they knew any injury could worsen the more time it isn't treated.

Anri stood up with the abandoned groceries. It was a miracle no one had stolen them yet but she figured it was probably important for something. "I'll call some of the children. I don't know if there are any nearby where they might be though." Anri explained and extended her call to further boundaries than before. During the time of the head fiasco, Anri had found out just how far she could extend the call. It had nearly covered the whole city that time.

Suddenly, she stopped and retreated the call. Something was wrong. "What happened, Anri-chan?" Walker asked confused when he noticed the surprised face on the other.

"Someone is controlling some of the children. It's not a rogue child. It's something different. And it's only the males." Anri explained and extended her call again, this time calling upon the girls.

None of the three males said anything but, for some reason, Walker could hear a melody in his head. He hadn't realized yet the significance of such a song. And he wouldn't for some while.

… … …

"Russia Sushi! Come! Come Russia Sushi!" Simon merrily called for clients, trying to get them to go into his store. It was the same as always and anyone in the know-how would be surprised he hadn't been following the current hot forum but Simon always preferred advertising his store and never got involved unless it was absolutely necessary.

The low gasps caught his attention, however, and he saw a pale Mikado, limping away through the crowd while carrying a happy child. If anyone had realized, they might've found it odd how the boy didn't notice the injury now pooling on the adult's leg. Simon, however, found it worrisome as Mikado was his friend and long-time customer.

"Mi-ka-do!" He called for the other, enunciating each syllable separately. Mikado had turned to him, not seeming as though he recognized him. Ruka, on the other hand, growled lightly. Simon simply smiled to the boy and tried to pet him but was kept away by Mikado's hand.

"Do not touch Ruka-sama." He whispered, his voice sounding tired and wheezy.

"Ruka! You're hurting him!" Ruri finally caught up to them, with only Mairu and Kyohei in tow. Where Shizuo and Masaomi were, only they knew.

"Simon-san! Grab the boy!" Mairu ordered as she jumped for them as well and saw a group of three men stopping them both. The rest were surprised as the men had red eyes, a sign that clearly meant they were acting on their "mother's" orders. However, they failed to see any reason why Anri would ask for this.

**To Be Continued…**


	26. Challenging the Change 5

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 25:<strong> Challenging the Change 5  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> The chaos slows down to an almost stop. Poetic, isn't it?

* * *

><p>When Saburou screeched the van to a halt, it was because he saw something in the distance that caught his eye. It was weird to say the least. Not all that much, but he did find it odd.<p>

It seemed as though, like usual, Shizuo and Izaya were fighting. Everything was normal, up to that point anyways. What seemed odd was that, one, Masaomi was helping Shizuo; and two, that Izaya wasn't making fun of Shizuo at all. Actually, he wasn't even speaking.

"I'll go help out. You guys find your friend." Chikage said the moment he stepped out. The others were confused, wondering what he was even planning on doing. They weren't even sure if Chikage could actually help them. "No worries, my fighting spirit hasn't dwindled at all since back then. More like, I feel it firing up even more."

"Then I'll leave this area to you Rokujou-san!" Walker saluted him with a bright smile before they headed off. Walker seemed to have some trust in the man but it was simply the knowledge of his old status that caused Walker to know that Chikage would be just fine.

When Chikage barged into the fight, Masaomi was surprised. "I thought you were with Anri-chan!" The two dodged the knives headed their way as Shizuo ripped out another sign from the ground. Even with all three, Izaya had been managing to avoid almost all the attacks.

"She's with the two in the van, trying to find your best friend. The boy is more resourceful than I gave him credit. So what's happening here?" Chikage asked curiously as he dodged one of Shizuo's indiscriminate acts. He was well versed in the fact that, just sometimes, Shizuo didn't know how to aim.

"Well, we were following Mikado when Izaya suddenly tried to stop us from getting near. Kadota-san and the girls went after him but me and Heiwajima-san got stuck here. And just to make things worse, he's being really annoying." Masaomi explained to Chikage by getting closer to Izaya and trying to pass him by.

Chikage watched as Izaya avoided an attack from Shizuo and threw another knife to stop Masaomi. "You shall not pass."

Returning to Chikage with sweat falling from his brow, he tried to catch his breath. "See? It's just annoying how he won't talk normally. When have you ever seen Izaya talk that way?" Somehow, Chikage couldn't help but nod in agreement. Izaya was truly acting not very much like himself.

"So what's the plan?" Chikage asked, trying to find an opening after each of Shizuo's attacks.

"Simple!" Shizuo spoke for Masaomi, an angry grin in place. "Catch him and kill him!"

Chikage laughed loudly, glad to see that Shizuo's sense of humor hadn't dwindled in the least while Masaomi just wondered if the first part could even be done at the moment, despite the fact that he knew the second part was basically just illegal. Izaya remained quiet the whole time, causing some slight unrest with anyone left in the vicinity.

… … …

What Anri saw the moment she arrived with Walker and Saburou was a scene of utter chaos and mass bloodshed. She had heard the reports from the female children she had sent for, but something like this was beyond anything she could imagine. At the frontline were Ruri, Mairu and Simon, trying to penetrate the wall of unknown men. Anri knew some of them were the hijacked children of hers. At the moment, she still couldn't get control over them like usual.

Several of her female children were also fighting both the controlled male children and the other unknown men. Saburou, after parking his car to the side, had run towards Kyohei, who had been unconscious on the floor for some unknown reason. Walker wasn't sure where to begin but he noticed the two at the end of the battle.

"Anri-chan! Over there!" He pointed them out to the young woman and she followed his gaze until she saw them as well. However, her blood ran cold the moment she saw them both.

Mikado was barely awake and he was leaning against a wall. She couldn't see him completely but she could tell his pale complexion was becoming even whiter. _His injury's getting worse! I have to save him!_ Without noticing it, her feelings cried out and mixed with her call. In a flash, Saika was out before anyone knew what had happened. Almost half the male fighters had fallen to the floor shortly after. Ruri and Mairu were caught by surprise when that occurred.

"Alright! Now there are less!" Mairu cried out and got back into the fight, knocking unconscious various males with ease. Simon quickly joined her, drawing ever closer to Mikado and Ruka. Anri and Ruri followed right after them, the younger female using the back of Saika's blade quite expertly.

Walker was about to join the fight but something told him it'd be best to sit it out. For the time being, he decided to help Saburou put Kyohei in the van and saw the sweets the Anri brought with them. He felt his stomach rumbling a bit and picked one up. The moment he opened it, however, he felt Saburou tugging his sweater.

"Why are they looking at us now?" He asked Walker with a nervous glance at the unknown men who had stopped fighting and were now staring emptily in their direction.

Ruri looked from Walker to her son and lowly gasped. "Run away! Quickly!" She tried to warn them at the same time that the mob ran towards the van.

"Gyaa! Zombies!" Saburou yelped and jumped to his seat at the same time that Walker closed the sliding door. Walker was about to yell at him to floor it but the driver was one step ahead of him and they were gone in an instant.

Anri and Simon looked confused at the mob that followed after the van while Mairu and Ruri quickly ran towards Ruka, effectively catching the boy. "So, you needed me since I'm a girl and we dumped Aoba-kun back there with Kuru-nee since he would've been a hindrance?" Mairu asked the mother as she ruffled the boy's hair. Ruri nodded and saw Mairu bring out her phone to call someone.

"Ryugamine-kun!" Anri turned around after overcoming the initial shock and ran to her friend. Ruri smacked Ruka over the head very lightly and Anri could hear Mikado groan. "Are you alright?"

"…ow…" He whimpered lowly as Mairu hung up and made a second call. Simon got near and tried to see if there was anything he could do for the fallen male.

"Alright! I called for an ambulance and informed Yuuhei-san that we caught Ruka-kun!" Mairu cheered loudly and looked in the direction that the van had disappeared off to. "I'm so glad they managed to at least serve as bait! We wouldn't have been able to catch you so easily otherwise." She explained to the boy, while pinching his cheek just to annoy him.

Ruri sighed as her son tried to look up at her. "You did a very dangerous thing, Ruka. Ryugamine-kun could've been seriously hurt. And you got so many people involved. Why did you need to run off like that?" Mairu watched with curiosity as the two stared at each other, as if they were having some sort of telepathic conversation. This was normal for the star family and Mairu was used to it, she just never really understood it.

A minute later, Ruri sighed and shook her head. Then she looked to be in thought and nodded to herself. Ruka grinned widely and tried to hug his mother. Once the other replied with a soft smile and hugged her son, the two turned to leave. "H-hey! Where are you two going?" Mairu asked confused and both Simon and Anri turned to see the older woman.

"We'll go join you in a moment at the hospital. I just have to call Kasuka-san to ask for his help cleaning up." Ruri replied and was gone a moment later. The three left were confused by a lot of things but had decided to ask anything later as the ambulance neared them.

**To Be Continued…**


	27. Unseen by Change 4

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 26:<strong> Unseen by Change 4  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Sudden fast pacing! Fear me! Also, mentioning it late, but do NOT imitate what Mikado did!

* * *

><p>"Is Mikapuu okay?" Erika asked first the moment they arrived with the group. Aoba asked a second later, simply because he had wanted to be the one to ask. Saki rolled her eyes to the side and headed to join Masaomi.<p>

"Yes, the injury wasn't as deep as we thought. It just continued to bleed since Ryugamine-kun had kept moving. The doctor said he'll be fine." Anri replied and both Erika and Aoba sighed with relief. They were feeling a little guilty for having started a party when a lot of dangerous things had happened.

"Then anyone care to explain what happened in the end?" Erika was curious as she brought out her laptop to show them that the whole forum they were using was now devoid of any pictures. "When Mairu-chan called Yuucchin and told him they had Ruka-kun, I checked to see the status of the chase and someone had erased everything."

"What?" Walker was surprised as he looked over to see his wife had been telling the truth. Kyohei and Saburou had found it interesting too. When Walker stepped away, he had a confused look. "But wait, Erika is the only one now with the admin code. And even if Izaya-san hacked the site again, he was too busy with Shizuo-san, right?"

Chikage eyed Shizuo, who had been quiet the whole while in a depressing corner of the hallway. He knew the man was pretty angry, especially due to all that had happened while he was busy with the aforementioned informant. Masaomi also felt pretty angry that it had come to this and he knew they should've never left Mikado alone. They didn't know, but Anri felt the worst since she had allowed Mikado to go alone. But no one dared blamed anyone else aside from themselves.

"Please don't worry about it so much. It doesn't matter now, does it?" Kasuka arrived with Ruri and Ruka in tow, the star family looking pretty pleased with themselves.

"Kasuka, you…!" Shizuo was about to yell something to his brother but the other cut him off.

"Brother is my family and I will always care for you but Ruka-kun is my son and it is my duty to protect him. If you have a problem with Ruka-kun then the fault lies with me." Kasuka sounded serious and no one else knew what to say. They never imagined him to be so unyielding or loyal like that. Erika somehow imagined him as a samurai and thought the image suited him very well.

"Can I ask just one question?" Kyohei raised his hand and Kasuka nodded in return. "Ryugamine was controlled by Ruka, right?"

Kasuka nodded again and spoke up, glancing at his son who was smiling at him. "I'm afraid it's because Ruka-kun enjoyed Mikado-kun's sweets. I suspect he wanted Mikado-kun to make him some personal ones with the sweets that were bought."

"So that's why we got chased? Wait, were those guys controlled by him as well?" Saburou was confused as he tried to rack his brain around the situation.

"I won't go into details. Just know that Ruka-kun can hypnotize people, or more specifically, males. So to ease your worries, it's not that everything has been erased. It's just that you can't see it." Kasuka explained, leaving them all shocked before adding just one more thing. "By the way, I also can't see it."

"Whoa, whoa, wait…" Erika closed the laptop and tried to think it through. "I can't see it either."

"That's because the effects aren't limited to males when you view the pictures on the page." Ruri cut in with a soft smile. Her son was currently looking for a way to get down on the floor. "But I've scolded Ruka now so he'll be mindful of what he does."

_I somehow doubt this will not repeat itself._ Most of the others kept that thought to themselves. Kyohei realized that's probably why Mairu had ended up knocking him out yet it didn't explain why they hadn't been controlled from the beginning or why Simon hadn't been either. Aoba now knew why the twins insisted he stay behind and felt slightly embarrassed of the care they had given him.

"Although… I really should apologize to you, brother." Kasuka came forward and placed his hand on Shizuo's shoulder. "Ruka-kun really liked Mikado-kun's sweets so anything that he felt placed Mikado-kun in danger was a threat."

"Wait, hold on a second!" Masaomi stood up in shock. "Are you saying that even while he was under Ruka-chan's control, Mikado STILL didn't want to talk to Heiwajima-san? That…! That…! That idiot!" Saki felt like praising him since Masaomi managed to stop himself from saying any curse words.

Before anyone could say anything about it, Masaomi grabbed Shizuo's hand and burst into Mikado's room where he had been resting. The doctor had given them the okay to go in but they wanted to wait a moment before going in. Most of them had been afraid to go in alone.

"Oh, dear. I probably should've mentioned that Ryugamine-kun is most likely sore all over his body due to the overuse of his muscles." Ruri looked over to her husband with a worried glance.

Anri quickly followed after Masaomi and Shizuo, hoping to stop anything terrible from happening. Erika realized this would be interesting and decided to sneak a peek from the outside. Mairu joined her out of curiosity while Aoba was held back from bursting into the room by Kururi. Kyohei sighed to himself and sat down next to Chikage and Saki who decided to wait it out. Saburou headed out to check on his van while Walker stood to the side, keeping an eye on his wife. Kasuka, Ruri and Ruka stayed where they had been and kept to themselves. They had done the best they could to keep out of it in order to not aggravate the situation but they were done now.

It wasn't long before Masaomi screamed out at the top of his lungs, "WHAT?"

… … …

"Namie-san, please be more gentle. I'm hurt, you know." Izaya told the woman as she slapped another hot pack over Izaya's back. Simon had gone back to pick him up after both Masaomi and Chikage beat him up.

All Namie knew was that Izaya couldn't remember anything beyond the moment he saw Mikado standing in front of the group back at the supermarket. Next thing the informant knew, Simon was carrying him away towards his apartment. The two talked for a small while and Izaya learned about how he had been apparently acting weird and finally got caught the moment his senses came back to him. Simon almost made fun of him by saying how Izaya had been looking for trouble.

As curious as Izaya was about what had happened, he couldn't do anything at the moment. His whole body was in pain and was sore, which was something pretty weird to him. Izaya knew he was fit and it wasn't old age, as much as Erika would probably comment. It was as if he had passed the capacity of his current strength and was feeling the aftereffects of it. Like when someone exercises for the first time and feels the effects the next day.

"Don't be such a baby." Namie slapped another hot pack again, this time on his leg. She didn't really want to do it but had to since Izaya was going to pay her for her services. "Besides, you're the one who wanted to kidnap the brat in order to keep him away from the protozoan."

"Namie-san… I'm hurt by your words." Izaya joked and kept his pained cry to himself in order not to give the woman some pleasure. "But I'll stop for a while. I'm sure Mikado-kun will have Shizu-chan as a bodyguard now."

Namie didn't really care about Izaya and his stupid obsession with bothering the bouncer and simply placed the last one with as much force as she could before leaving for the kitchen. There were better things on her mind than what happened today.

**To Be Continued…**


	28. Confronting the Change 4

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 27:<strong> Confronting the Change 4  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Laugh!

* * *

><p>"Wake up! Mikado, wake up!" Masaomi gave Mikado some light slaps, knowing that Anri and the doctor in charge of Mikado would probably kill him if he hurt his best friend. He heard the other whimper in pain before opening his eyes.<p>

"Masaomi, that hurts… I can't even move… Why…?" Mikado asked and he held in his breath when he saw the taller blond behind his best friend. Tears had begun to form in his eyes and Masaomi felt the hand he held starting to pull back.

"Don't you dare! Both of you are going to have a good sit down right now! I told you to fix your problems! Now talk!" Masaomi pushed Shizuo in front of him and walked over to Anri to watch over the conversation. The friend at his side noticed how Masaomi's foot tapped the ground repeatedly, a sour look on his face. She realized that whatever Masaomi had on his mind was really important. At least, much more than she originally imagined.

Shizuo stared at Mikado's eyes and watched the first tear fall down his cheek. He had almost reached out for it but stopped himself before doing anything. "…ry…" Mikado's soft voice caught his attention. "I'm so sorry, Shizuo…san…"

"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who forced you to run away from even your friends." Shizuo tried to calm himself. This wasn't the way he wanted to have the conversation. He felt it was much too forced, but there were many obstacles that would impede his escape.

"No… I stupidly did that… I just didn't notice how much I… Just really enjoyed baking for you…" Masaomi stopped for a moment and realized something very important. The things in his head started making sense. Memories from their university days flashed by in just a few seconds. Schoolwork, lunch, and every other random thing clicked.

It wasn't long before Masaomi screamed out at the top of his lungs, "WHAT?"

Anri nearly jumped out of her skin when Masaomi had screamed. Mikado and Shizuo were surprised and had now looked over to him. All four failed to hear something fall on the other side of the door behind Masaomi and Anri.

"An affair? All this because you had a secret affair for ten years?" Anri made the calculations in her head and simply assumed that Masaomi was somehow including the six years Mikado was gone for in the ten he mentioned.

"It wasn't an affair!" Shizuo screamed at him but Masaomi lifted his hand to stop him from speaking out.

"It WAS an affair. I always wondered why Mikado felt so secretive during our time at the university. He said he was baking because it helped him study. I teased him a bit but I never knew it was this serious. You took advantage of him when he was drunk! That's why he ran away!" Pointing an accusatory finger at Shizuo, he didn't hear the squeal coming from behind him. Anri had though, and looked behind her to see the edge of Mairu's body.

"Wha-what makes you think that I would…?" Shizuo shut his mouth when he noticed both Masaomi and Anri's shocked face. Looking back at Mikado, he saw the red face the other had. Now he knew he had revealed too much. Somehow, he thought he heard Erika squealing in the distance.

"Wait, wait, wait! I know I should make fun of Mikado for acting like the man, but the point of the matter is that, WHAT? All this because of a drunken night of passion?" Masaomi was sure he heard Erika having a giggle fit behind him but he didn't care if he was making her BL dreams come true.

Anri thought it best to interject at some point but she was having a hard time doing so. Part of her agreed with Masaomi and the other part was simply worried that she might lose control of the situation. Eventually, her lips started moving. "Kida-kun, why do you keep talking about Ryugamine-kun being drunk?"

"Huh?" Masaomi turned to her for a moment, not noticing how both Mikado and Shizuo tried to hide their faces. "You don't remember? Well, we were all pretty wasted that night. You know, on the last semester of our fourth year when Mikado won that competition. I dropped him near some place that wasn't his apartment and he was really happy to go there."

"Oh…" Somehow, Anri couldn't remember much about the night Masaomi was talking about but she did remember they had been celebrating something. "Oh." She suddenly blushed at the implication Masaomi had been talking about in regards to Mikado and Shizuo. For the moment, Anri decided to keep quiet.

"Anyways! What do you have to say for yourself?" Masaomi pointed the finger at the two who seemed to have no words either. "Ooh, fine! Saki!"

"What is it, Masaomi?" From behind the two came Saki, as the other peepers from behind the door tried to hide themselves from view.

"Set the date!" He gave the order to his girlfriend, who smiled in return.

"It's already done." She replied and he looked surprised. "I assumed you would be pestering Mikado-san until he gave in so I made the call the day we met at the train station."

"You make me so happy, Saki!" Masaomi cheered, leaving the rest confused. Suddenly, he quickly turned to Mikado with a serious face. "Say yes, Mikado! I'm not letting you shy away from this! Me and Saki have been more than patient about this! Hell, even Chikage-san found out! So say yes to being my best man!"

Silence dropped down like an axe on a guillotine and Saki was the first to cough in it.

"You're getting married? Ugh!" Mikado coughed due to speaking too fast and the fact that he was in pain. He had also tried getting up but fell back. Shizuo had almost run to him but stopped himself.

"Um…congratulations…?" Anri seemed confused about whether she should be saying that at the moment considering everything that was happening.

"Congrats you useless host!" Mairu burst in with Aoba and Chikage, all of them with a bright smile on their faces. The four in the room, aside from Saki, were surprised but Masaomi recovered quickly.

"I resent the comment but thanks! After all, I've saved up enough for like three ceremonies!" Masaomi laughed loudly and joined the three as the rest who waited out in the hallway started pouring in.

It seemed as though both Shizuo and Mikado were completely forgotten for the moment. Suddenly, they saw Erika glancing their way with a wicked smile. A shudder fell down their backs as they saw the woman move the conversation in quickest way possible. "We need to celebrate this! Everyone out of the room so we can go eat! I'm sure Simon will give us a special when he hears about this!"

With the help of Walker and Kyohei, who personally wanted to give Mikado some rest, everyone slowly exited the room until Shizuo was alone with Mikado. But before either could say anything else, Erika and Kasuka came into the room, left a camera recording said room, and quickly went after the rest of the party.

Shizuo was shocked and stomped towards the cameras before turning them off, all the while murmuring curses at his brother and the meddlesome people.

**To Be Continued…**


	29. The Reason for Change 1

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 28:<strong> The Reason for Change 1  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Flashback Part One.

* * *

><p>Mikado had been walking along the road like usual. There was nothing strange about this. It was an everyday thing. He had begun his freshman year at the local university along with Masaomi, Anri and Saki just three months ago and things were going well. The local gang wars were kept to a minimal degree so he connected to the Dollars website for only ten minutes a day. It was very rare now for anything to go wrong.<p>

So what had happened in front of him should've been completely normal too.

It was a normal event to happen. People were screaming and running away from the area. Shizuo and Izaya had begun another fight and it was currently localized to one point. Mikado stared from afar without much care. He just saw it as an everyday thing.

"Oh, Mikado-kun! I needed to talk to you so don't run off now, okay?" Izaya turned his attention for one second to the Dollars' founder before evading another of Shizuo's fists. "You know, if not for the fact that I hate you, I'd be tempted to agree with Karisawa-san's delusions."

"Shut up and die!" Shizuo had screamed without stopping his attacks.

The scene was normal and Mikado had no intention of staying since he wasn't even remotely interested in the fight. Plus, even if Izaya needed him for something, the informant had ways of finding him so Mikado decided to turn around and continue home.

Of course, that act was what started it all.

"Oh no, don't you leave with that nonchalant face, Mikado-kun!" Izaya had actually thrown a knife towards the Dollars' founder, much to the surprise of the rest of the people who remained there out of fear. But what had surprised them all, Mikado and Izaya included, was that Shizuo had gotten in the way to protect the younger boy. The blood flowed from the new wound in his left hand as the ex-bartender directed his glare towards the informant. "My, my Shizu-chan. I never pegged you for an ally of justice." Izaya joked, finding the surprised look on Mikado very amusing.

"You flea! Don't involve others into this!" Shizuo barked, not realizing that it was simply because Izaya tried to have two conversations at the same time, if those could be called conversations. While Mikado stared at the wound, he wondered why someone like Shizuo would save him.

At this time, they did not formally know each other. Shizuo still knew him as a Dollars member and Mikado knew him as the one-man army of Ikebukuro, yet neither had tried to get closer because there had been no need to, until now. That's why Mikado did not know that Shizuo protected him because Shizuo cared about others more than he normally showed.

"Um, Shizuo-san…" Mikado meekly called for the ex-bartender without sounding too afraid but the other wasn't listening. The blond pulled out the knife and threw it back to Izaya before resuming the one-sided fight.

All Mikado wanted to do was say his thanks.

… … …

It was the very next day that Mikado willed himself to act almost stalker-ish as he cut class and followed Shizuo from various feet away. He had not been able to sleep well and it didn't help that Izaya passed by his place to poke fun at him for no apparent reason. But now he hoped to say what he wanted to Shizuo. There was rarely a moment when the ex-bartender was free and they were spent shooing people away.

_I guess I might have to try after he gets out of work but… When exactly is that?_ It wasn't that Mikado was embarrassed of going to Shizuo and expressing what he wanted but he thought it might put him off if there was anyone around.

Around eleven in the evening, Shizuo finally parted from Tom and the office. Mikado took this chance and came closer to the blond but another obstruction had shown up. It was a group of people who seemed to have hatred for the blond. Shizuo had almost ignored them when they caught his attention by surrounding him. Mikado seemed a bit worried but the one-man army reminded them all that he knew how to take care of himself.

However, when one of the group came from behind to hit Shizuo, Mikado lounged with a piece of wood he found and knocked the man out. "Huh? What the hell are you planning?" Shizuo questioned Mikado who immediately dropped the object.

"No, I was just trying to stop him. I came here for something else!" Mikado tried to clear the misunderstanding and Shizuo simply ignored him by walking away. _Ah…! I can't let it end here!_ Running after him, Mikado grabbed Shizuo by the same hand he was injured the day before.

"What the hell do you want?" Shizuo seemed to be on the verge of grabbing Mikado and punching him away but the younger one simply stroked the bandage with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"Thank you." Mikado finally spoke up and caught Shizuo off guard. "I know it might have been a little thing for you but I know I have to properly say it anyways. So, thank you Shizuo-san." With that, Mikado let go of Shizuo's hand, still smiling up at the blond.

"You're the kid from yesterday?" Shizuo asked, almost sounding curious. He had thought Mikado looked familiar but it was only now that he recognized him again. When Mikado nodded, Shizuo scratched his cheek as he tried to hide his embarrassed look. "It was nothing. I was just angry with the flea."

"It's alright. But, I was wondering… Is there anything I can do for Shizuo-san to thank you?" Mikado asked meekly but Shizuo shook his head.

"Just forget it, it was nothing kid. No wait… It was… Ryugasaki?" Shizuo asked and heard Mikado chuckle. Getting a bit pissed at Mikado since he thought he was being made fun, Shizuo was about to punch Mikado when the other apologized.

"I'm sorry, Shizuo-san. It's actually Ryugamine. Ryugamine Mikado. But I'd still like to do something to thank you." Mikado smiled and easily eased Shizuo's wrath. But before Shizuo could say something in response, Mikado's phone rang. "Oh! I forgot I'd cut class all day!"

Shizuo was taken by surprise by that comment. "Why'd you…?"

"Um… I was hoping to thank you properly and couldn't find the right timing for it so I kinda…followed you all day… I'm sorry!" Mikado apologized with a deep bow and tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach. But he felt confused when Shizuo stifled a chuckle.

"I knew I wasn't crazy when I felt someone watching me. Anyways, you're welcome so don't worry about it." Shizuo ruffled Mikado's hair and turned around to leave.

_But it still isn't enough. I really should properly thank him. But how?_ Mikado tried to think. He didn't want to turn into some kind of stalker so he figured he should ask someone who knew Shizuo well. Of course, Izaya was out of the question, what with the mutual hatred they had for each other, but there was someone else. _Shizuo-san's co-worker. But will he even answer me?_

… … …

"You know, kids with manner like those are really hard to see these days." Tom had spoken up with a smile as he remembered the kid from the previous day. Shizuo looked so confused that Tom had appeared shocked. "Don't tell me… You blew him away with that patience of yours? Aw, man! The kid seemed so nice too!"

"What are you talking about Tom-san?" Shizuo asked, trying understand why his senior was reprimanding him.

"That kid who wanted to thank you." Tom replied quickly and Shizuo froze. "He was in here yesterday asking about how to do that. I told him you like cakes and where he could find you in the mornings since he was a university student. You didn't knock him unconscious without hearing what he had to say, right?"

Shizuo took a strong whiff of his cigarette and sighed. "No, I did hear him out. There was no problem." The blond explained and dropped the conversation there. Of course, there was no way he could say how said boy had caught him off guard with the cake and had promised to visit later on to hear Shizuo's thoughts on it. The whole thing was weird; very weird.

**To Be Continued…**


	30. Discussing the Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 29:<strong> Discussing the Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Uh… That. And the 'his' is on purpose.

* * *

><p>"So, I guess all's well that ends well. Right?" Erika asked with a bright smile as she put the sushi in her mouth. Saburou had screamed from the other side of the table, demanding to know why she had taken the piece he had been aiming for. Walker extended one of the same towards him before the two got into a fight.<p>

"I suppose." Both Anri and Ruri had spoken at the same time. The actress was caught off guard by it and resumed to helping her son eat correctly. Ruka was very excited about there being so many people around him.

"But that was just stupid, really." Masaomi spoke honestly, still feeling pretty ticked off. The newly adorned finger had caught the eye of the owner and Simon, who had proceeded to congratulate him. Saki sported a similar ring to his and sat by his side. They took the place of the guests of honor in the separated room. "All this because my best friend won't accept his gay? Be merry for all I care!"

"It does explain what Ryugamine-kun let slip to me. He had said he wanted to grow. I assume then it's because he didn't feel like he was good enough for Shizuo-san." Anri threw her theory out there and saw Erika grin. The woman assumed that her camera had been broken, but if it had survived, it would have made her whole day even better.

"Rather than growing, it seems he was rather broken into something resembling an adult." Kasuka spoke up and most had now turned to look at him. "I forced Mikado-kun to tell me about his stay in America that day after he fainted and was in my care."

"He fainted?" Aoba looked genuinely worried but didn't move from his spot to go running off after his sempai. He knew Kururi wasn't about to let him and he was pretty sure that Mikado was alright in the hospital.

"Oh, yes. He was donating blood and fell after trying to run away from Shizuo-san." Ruri explained and grabbed hold of her son, who was trying to stand up on the table.

"You're not supposed to do that?" Masaomi was confused and saw Aoba sigh disappointedly in another direction. Mairu had started to laugh at him and Kururi jabbed her a bit to shut her up. Chikage answered his question with food in his mouth and heard Anri repeat it.

"No, Kida-kun. You're not supposed to do any kind of heavy lifting after donating." Chikage nodded in agreement, as did Walker and Kyohei. "But what did you mean he was broken into something resembling an adult, Yuuhei-san?"

"Oh. It seems Mikado-kun went through many trials to strengthen his character. But rather than allowing him to naturally react the way someone else that has gone through a similar ordeal would, Mikado-kun reacts based on a training of fear." Kasuka tried explaining but noticed Anri, Masaomi and Aoba with a sour look on their faces so he added, "Well, it's not a bad thing. Mikado-kun might not realize that he's done something until right after he's done it but he accepts it as necessary in order not to fear."

"But will he be alright?" Anri asked worriedly, not touching any of her food now.

"He'll be alright." Erika replied without any worries. "Mikapuu isn't as weak as we think he is. As the Leader, he did pretty absurd things. Now he just does them as himself and for himself, rather than other people." Kyohei and Walker nodded in agreement, remembering the things Mikado put himself through just so he could be of help to others and the Dollars.

"I'll agree. But only 'cuz it seems like Mikado gave Izaya a good run for his money. Does anyone even know what the hell he hoped to achieve today?" Masaomi asked and saw Erika's wide grin. The pregnant woman had even begun to chuckle as Ruka escaped his mother grasp and tried to look outside the room.

"Izaya-san was jealous, right?" Aoba asked with a bored look on his face as he took a piece of sushi into his mouth. "He's been trying to capture sempai for a long time. Probably even from the time they first met. He's even barged into sempai's old apartment back when I was getting tutored."

A lot of faces turned sour, most thinking, _What a creeper._ "Ah, I'm so glad we beat him up." Masaomi cheered happily, remembering what had happened just a few hours earlier. He quickly grabbed Ruka who was passing by and ruffled his hair. "Thanks, Ruka-chan! You've totally made my day!"

The boy tried to escape but Masaomi didn't let him. He seemed embarrassed by the display of affection or simply didn't enjoy it. "Isn't he cute? Prepare yourself, Yumacchi. He might be ours." Erika drooled and neither of the star parents seemed preoccupied with her words.

"What? We're having a child, Erika-san. You can't just steal someone else's son." Walker seemed angry with his wife but Kasuka raised his hand to intervene.

"I apologize. But it seems as though Ruka-kun is infatuated with your wife's child. I'm almost certain he'll find a way to steal it. So it's not as though Erika-san will steal Ruka-kun." Kasuka explained, leaving a few confused faces.

"Eh? Then Ruka-kun wants us to be a family?" Walker asked, glancing at the child who now was looking in his direction.

"Yes!" Erika cheered and stole the boy, bringing him towards her. "That means we'll be family with Shizu-chan and Mikapuu! And I'll have all the BL that I want!" Her drool was starting to fall and Ruka felt he should retreat in the meantime by running towards his mother.

"Well then, let's celebrate to new families!" Masaomi wasn't entirely sure what had just happened and decided to just go with it. Saki followed his lead, as did Anri and Chikage. Kyohei and Saburou followed after, as did Walker and Erika, once the husband got his wife to notice the situation. Kasuka and Ruri lifted a glass nonchalantly and Kururi forced the two at his side to do so as well. Simon had screamed from the other side, celebrating with them.

… … …

"All I've ever wanted was for you to stay by my side." Shizuo spoke softly, sitting right next to Mikado's bed. He had gazed up towards the other and noticed he hadn't tried to look away. "I liked your cooking and I thought it was the most obvious thing for you to be there with me."

"Back then…" Mikado began and Shizuo heard him out. "I really liked seeing Shizuo-san smile when eating my stuff. I wanted to be there all along and stay forever. But it was so sudden for me, I was scared of myself. We were doing alright as friends, so how could I ask for anything more? I couldn't do such a thing when all I wanted was…"

Before Mikado could finish, Shizuo got closer to the injured male and spoke up. "You've more than paid the debt. I need to pay mine now for making you doubt yourself. I want to make you smile again. I want to see the Mikado who used my kitchen as his personal work space."

"Didn't you hate that?" Mikado asked, tears falling from his face but a soft smile spreading at the same time. Shizuo shook his head and smiled back, wiping away the tears from his face. "Then what now?"

Shizuo thought about what kind of answer to give him before he finally spoke up. "Well you need to get better so rest for the moment. Also, start picking up my phone calls." Mikado chuckled at that and heard Shizuo finish. "Then, move in with me. But first…" Although Mikado was surprised by Shizuo's sudden request, his breath nearly stopped as their lips met. It wasn't the first time though.

**To Be Continued…**


	31. The Reason for Change 2

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 30:<strong> The Reason for Change 2  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Flashback Part Two.

* * *

><p>"Print easy come coma easy go period. New line. Define integer…" Mikado spoke cryptically with a smile as he battered the mixture to a smooth feeling. He suddenly stopped and looked thoughtfully at the air. "What else, what else?" He murmured to himself and glanced over to the laptop behind him. "Right! Ah, wait… Delete that…"<p>

While Mikado was battling it out in the kitchen with two things at once, Shizuo sat in his living room alongside his brother, who had shown up out of nowhere. Since the time Mikado handed Shizuo the first cake, he would come often on Saturdays to make new cakes for Shizuo. His excuse, though the same as always, it being Mikado wanted to thank Shizuo, was that he found baking relaxing enough to do his projects.

"It's starting to smell good." Kasuka commented while sipping his tea. Ruri hadn't gone with him that day either since she was busy. Not once did she get the chance to meet Shizuo's secretly famous secret friend. After all, Mikado only came by on Saturdays without mentioning it to anyone and the two never hung out outside so it was obvious it took so long for anyone to realize their relationship.

"Yeah… You going to stay today? You don't have work?" Shizuo asked, flicking his lighter every so often.

"I can stay. Ruri-san likes Mikado-kun's cakes. It's probably because he prepares them on instinct." Kasuka noted how Mikado happily spoke out his codes as a song while continuing the other work around the kitchen.

Shizuo nodded in agreement. "I know he wanted to thank me but now it feels like I'm being used. But since I get out some good cakes out of this, I'm not sure if I should mind it."

"Muffins are done!" Mikado commented from the kitchen and gasped at the laptop. "No, no, don't write that! Ah, delete! No, wait, undo!"

Shizuo smiled at the easy going attitude Mikado had and walked over with Kasuka to try out the food Mikado made for them. After this, the university student would soon go home and fix his coding project.

… … …

"I know you well enough to realize there's something going on. Do you need me to poke holes at your precious Dollars?" Izaya asked with a sly grin, eyeing Mikado as the younger one typed away in his computer.

"Leave sempai alone or I'll throw my underlings at you in your sleep." Aoba threatened as he tried to resume his studies. He had been trying to enter the same program as Mikado so he wanted to ace all his tests, even if they were months away.

"How scary! You've got a scary fan Mikado-kun! So how about you join me for some business lessons? I'm sure it'll satisfy your intellectual curiosity." Izaya offered but his kouhai wasn't listening. "Ignoring me, are you?"

"Ah, that wasn't it!" Mikado suddenly spoke up and groaned at his computer. "Sorry Izaya-san, I'm actually busy right now but if you don't mind, there's some sweets in the fridge so could you serve them to Aoba-kun? You can have some too if you'd like."

Izaya and Aoba eyed the fridge curiously and then turned their attention to Mikado again. "I didn't know you liked sweets Mikado-kun."

"Baking clears my head and sugar helps the brain focus so please pass me some too." Mikado glared at his screen and tried something else in his codes. He was facing a bug he couldn't find so now he had to start from the beginning and look at each section of code individually.

Though he began to pout, Izaya still obeyed and walked over to the fridge for the elusive sweets. "You know, someone I despise very much likes sweet things. You wouldn't happen to…"

"Yes!" Mikado cheered from his spot and smiled at this screen. "I found you! Now I can call Masaomi. You want to go out with us Aoba-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, sure! I'll follow you anywhere sempai!" Aoba grinned and continued with his homework so he could finish quickly.

"Izaya-san, it's those right there." Mikado pointed to the sweets in the fridge with a smile as he dialed the number on his phone. "Oh, Masaomi. I'm done with my homework. Where was it that you wanted us to meet up with you?"

Without getting the information that almost dangled in front of him, Izaya simply grabbed the intended food and brought it to the table. Even he had to admit that it tasted good.

… … …

With drool falling from his mouth, Mikado eyed the surroundings tiredly. He recognized the place but had no idea how he had gotten there in the first place. During his years at the university, nothing had changed between him and Shizuo. Mikado would always visit him on Saturdays and the rest of the week he would hang out with his friends. Exactly like Kasuka described him once, Mikado was Shizuo's secret friend. No one else knew the two knew each other.

"You planning on letting go of my bed? Ryugamine, you're drooling too much." Shizuo bent down to reach Mikado's eye level and the younger one felt embarrassed to be so close.

"S-sorry! I didn't realize…! When did I get here anyways?" Mikado asked confused while looking at the sheets that covered him. He wasn't naked so that wasn't what he was worried about. He just didn't remember how he got there in the first place.

"You knocked on my door all drunk and happy and stole my bed from me. I had to sleep on the couch because of that." Shizuo explained, not noticing Mikado's blush. It was only last year that Mikado started feeling funny around Shizuo yet he never stopped visiting. As much as the pain dulled in his heart, he couldn't stop himself from visiting Shizuo. Being around the blond was soothing for him and had become something of a habit.

After a few seconds, Mikado got out of the bed and bowed to Shizuo. "I'm so sorry Shizuo-san!"

"It's no problem. But what was the celebration about?" Shizuo asked with a grin, sitting down on his bed.

"Oh, that." Mikado smiled joyfully as he remembered the previous night's event. "Remember the codes I was writing last week? I was practicing for an end-of-the-year competition. It was today and I got first place so Masaomi took me out for drinks."

"Congrats, Ryugamine." Shizuo smiled at Mikado with such sincerity that the other felt his heart soar. Mikado had no way of describing that feeling. Not even what he felt for Anri back in high school had come close to his current feeling. Perhaps there was still some alcohol in his system, since Mikado was very weak to it, but the next move he took was one he had regretted instantly and 'till this day.

He had lounged forward to kiss Shizuo. His mind wasn't thinking straight, not when his body moved nor when Shizuo began reciprocating the kiss. Neither of the two knew what was happening, just that they were drowning in it. However, Mikado's thoughts returned to himself and he took a step back in shock. There was definitely regret in his eyes. He wasn't someone to do something like this. He didn't even begin to feel like this until recently. However, two things were certain in his mind. Shizuo didn't seem to mind it at all and Mikado was not strong enough to make Shizuo love him back.

So he tried to run. It was nothing more than a silly mistake but he simply didn't wish for anything more out of Shizuo than his friendship, however secretive it may be. However, Shizuo didn't want Mikado to run.

"Don't walk away!" Shizuo's voice stopped him in his tracks. Mikado felt himself shaking and becoming very small. "That just now… It was something different. Did you have…?"

"No!" Mikado shook his head, a mist beginning to cover his eyes. "I had no intention!"

With those words Mikado tried to run away again but, this time, Shizuo grabbed him by the arm. "I said don't walk away! You can't just ignore what happened! Ryugamine! … Mikado!" After his pause, Shizuo screamed out Mikado's name for the first time, surprising the younger male.

But it was that name that caused Mikado to drop a tear. It meant Shizuo truly thought of him as something closer than friends. "I can't." Taken by surprise, Shizuo let go of the boy and the other ran out of the apartment.

All Mikado wanted to do, from the very beginning, was say his thanks.

… … …

"_Look out!_" Mikado threw himself to protect her and suffered an injury that would remain with him for the rest of his life.

"_Kyaaa!_" She screamed both out of surprise and horror at what just happened. "_Are you okay?_" Calling out to him, she saw Mikado close his eyes from the pain.

He had been rushed to the hospital but the blood kept flowing. It wouldn't stop. "_Get a transfusion!_" In the distance, Mikado could hear the doctor yell out.

A week later, he finally woke up in a white colored room. His first thought to himself was, "_Did he…feel the same way?_" But there was no answer that would come to him.

"_Alright! You saved my hunny bunny and not many people would dive in front of a psycho to protect someone they barely know so as thanks, I'm gonna grant ya a wish Mikado!_" He had declared with a grin and had every intention of seeing his selfish desire become a reality. He had a debt to Mikado now.

"_A wish?_" Mikado began to think, "_There's just one thing…_" Almost in a murmur, Mikado looked at him with a serious gaze. "_Change me._" It was a surprise to the two, really. They had no idea he would ask for something so abstract. "_Enough so that I may be strong enough, grown up enough, to face the person I ran away from._"

He grinned and placed his arm around his 'hunny bunny's' shoulder. "_That's easy. All I got to do is break you. So much you won't even recognize yourself. 'Course, it'll take a while. But are you up for it? Spending your time here, studying and changing yourself?_"

And Mikado nodded in response.

**To Be Continued…**


	32. The Aftermath of Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 31:<strong> The Aftermath of Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Random things before I finish.

* * *

><p>There is no one in the room right now.<br>Tanaka Taro-san has entered the room.

**Tanaka Taro:** I love Shizuo-san!

Tanaka Taro-san has left the room.  
>There is no one in the room right now.<p>

… … …

Ruri came into the nursery with a soft smile like usual. Saki greeted her and they headed in together to look for her son. In the classroom, Masaomi was being played with by the other children remaining. The moment they arrived, Ruka jumped from his chair and tackled his mother. Ruri had caught him quite easily, not at all how Kasuka usually reacted. The mother blamed it with the fact that Ruka always went all out with his father to show him that he could take care of himself. Kasuka casually commented once that Ruri should notice that more than him.

"Hello Ruka, ready to go home?" She asked sweetly and saw her son nod.

"Oh, wait, wait!" Masaomi forcefully got up from the floor and headed towards Ruri with two children hanging from his arms. "Mikado's gonna have a house welcome party this Saturday since he'll be out by then. I'm sure you got the invitation, but can you make sure to bring something too? We're thinking of surprising him with a few things, if you catch my drift."

"Masaomi…" Saki warned him when she noticed her fiancée slyly winking at the woman.

"No worries. I'll talk to Kasuka-san. I'm sure he'll be more than delighted to give Ryugamine-san something. Let's go, Ruka." After giving them a light bow, Ruri headed out of the nursery and onto the streets. She felt pretty pleased with herself recently as Kasuka had started working and she had been the model image of a housewife again.

Ruka mumbled something incomprehensible as he remained in his mother's arms. He hadn't wriggled or anything but Ruri placed him on the floor and grabbed hold of his hand. They smiled at each other and began to sing a soft melody as they headed home again.

… … …

There is no one in the room right now.  
>Setton-san has entered the room.<p>

**Setton:** Wwhat?1  
><strong>Setton:<strong> How did this happen?  
><strong>Setton:<strong> I mean when?1

Setton-san has left the room.

… … …

"Erika-san, weren't you going to stay home?" Walker asked when he found his wife inside the van. Saburou wasn't listening because he knew what kind of stupid conversation this would turn out to be. Kyohei was currently taking a nap as he waited for them to arrive at the location.

"I thought I'd surprise you by coming to visit! And it's not like I'm doing anything else these days. I'm bored out of my mind!" Erika retorted though her husband knew better. She was simply making excuses in order to cook up a plan as quietly as possible.

"Have you gone to see Mikado-kun yet? I thought you were going to visit him every day until he got out." Walker gave up and got inside the car, sitting right next to his wife. He quickly passed over the address of where they were headed to Saburou. Though he had been planning on saying a few things to wife anyways, he froze when he saw her surprised face.

"Dotachin! Dotachin! Wake up!" Erika jiggled the seat, effectively waking up the man.

With a confused yet startled look, he mumbled something incoherently before Erika shook his seat again. Saburou looked back, slightly confused but was amazed when he saw Walker pressing his ear to Erika's belly.

"She's kicking!" Walker spoke excitedly but Erika quickly pouted.

"You mean one of my boys is kicking! I'll be having all the BL in my house, thank you very much!" Erika was determined to have her child be twin boys, something Walker still betted against her for. He was pretty much sure that Erika wouldn't win against him since he had Ruka's obsession with the baby by his side.

Kyohei sighed but smiled at the two at the same time before he motioned to Saburou to head out. "Unless you want the thing back there to melt into a puddle of water, Yumasaki." He reminded Walker, who quickly told Saburou to 'gun it' as he was afraid of that too.

… … …

Bakyura has entered the room.

**Bakyura:** Oh, I just missed Setton-san.  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Hey!  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> I know who will enjoy that!  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> Tch. Forgot they already left. Buu…

Saika-san has entered the room.

**Saika:** Oh my…

**Bakyura:** Oh well!  
><strong>Bakyura:<strong> I'm gonna go bother someone!

Bakyura-san has left the room.

**Saika:** Well… I should…go too…

Saika-san has left the room.  
>There is no one in the room right now.<p>

… … …

"This is the boss of the boyfriend of my son's teacher, who also happens to be the boss of the best friend of my brother-in-law. Thank you for greeting us here, Rokujou-san." Kasuka spoke easily towards Chikage as the man alongside Kasuka was completely confused by everything.

"No worries, Hanejima-san! Always a pleasure to be of service!" Chikage replied leisurely, acting as if he was on a talk show when he was just greeting two customers at his shop. "So you wanted to know who I could supply for your new movie? I'm sure I could get a few girls together who would love to show their faces to the world. They're all lovely creatures, you know."

"I don't ever doubt that, Rokujou-san. The director wanted to bring new faces in and I knew from Kida-kun that you would be the perfect man to talk to." Kasuka spoke amicably with Chikage and the two exchanged words a bit before they roped the man with Kasuka into the conversation.

At the bar, watching them from afar, was Mairu. Although she was on the job, she continued asking for drinks. They were all on the house so she tried splurging a bit from selected wines that she wouldn't have on other occasions. Kururi wasn't with her at the moment as she was accompanying Aoba somewhere else. She heard something about the two being back at Anri's place for some reason, but she didn't care. Suddenly, she heard a small jingle that made her smile.

"Vorona-chan!" Mairu answered the phone in a perky tone. "Oh? You heard? Isn't it wonderful? I, myself, find it adorable. Oh, you just had to see it! Huh? You broke cover? Why…? Your target found out about you? Eh? They what? When? You are going after them, right? You can't just leave them alone."

After a long series of discussions, Mairu hung up the phone with a rather bewildered look on her face. She wasn't sure what to say about the conversation she just had and decided to keep quiet about it for the moment. Though she knew her sister would likely need to know first.

… … …

There is no one in the room right now.  
>Mai-san has entered the room.<br>Kyo-san has entered the room.

**Mai:** Shock. (0_0)

**Kyo:** Same.  
><strong>Kyo:<strong> Zero.

**Mai:** Words. (0_0)

Kyo-san has left the room.  
>Mai-san has left the room.<br>There is no one in the room right now.

… … …

The first person who was depressed was Namie. She sat down on the sofa, looking at the number of unconnected calls she had made to her brother. Izaya was in front of his computer, far from the woman, tapping away madly. He hadn't said a word since a while ago.

"Ha! Take that!" He declared triumphantly but it was all a sham. He knew that.

… … …

There is no one in the room right now.  
>Kanra-san has entered the room.<p>

**Kanra:** Hold on!  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> I am not enjoying this!  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> And everyone read this already?  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Nope.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Not happening.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> I am so deleting this.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> This does not make me happy.

Tanaka Taro-san has entered the room.

**Tanaka Taro:** By the way, Kanra-san?  
><strong>Tanaka Taro:<strong> There's nothing you can do about that.  
><strong>Tanaka Taro:<strong> Also, I'm home.

Tanaka Taro-san has left the room.

**Kanra:** And he rubs it in!  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Definitely deleting this.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Don't expect to be able to read this conversation again.  
><strong>Kanra:<strong> Punpun!

Kanra-san has left the room.  
>The conversation from Tanaka Taro-san to Kanra-san (53 lines) have been deleted.<br>There is no one in the room right now.

**To Be Continued…**


	33. The Return of Daily Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 32:<strong> The Return of Daily Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Some OOC-ness.

* * *

><p>Anri felt a chill cover her whole body. All she could think about was that conversation she read yesterday and wondered what kind of repercussions it would have. It had been deleted so Anri had no way of knowing how many people had read it, aside from Masaomi and Celty. She got a rather irked call from Shizuo, demanding the woman to take away the annoying host. There was no way of knowing how much damage the blond had done at the moment but she could only assume it wasn't anything good.<p>

"Why aren't they out yet?" Aoba asked, pinned under Kururi's whole body in the backseat. He had wanted to go do the greeting as well but Kururi wouldn't let him. Her possessive streak shocked even Anri.

"Soon." Kururi murmured and nuzzled Aoba as if he were a teddy bear.

"There they are." Anri got out of the rental car and so did Aoba and Kururi. In front of them, pushed by Shizuo and accompanied by a nurse, came Mikado. There was a bright and sincere smile on his face that made Aoba pout as it wasn't meant for him. "Hello, Ryugamine-kun."

Mikado was surprised and smiled at his friend. "Well, this is a surprise. But doesn't this remind you of the first day I was back?" They both laughed and Aoba quickly intervened. "We're also here!"

"Quiet." Kururi pulled him back when he had tried to run up to Mikado.

"Oh, yes. Thank you for your hard work, Aoba-kun. Sonohara-san mentioned you helped move the few things I had." Mikado gave Aoba his oral reward, sending the boy into a blissful state. Kururi placed her arm around his possessively and Shizuo clicked his tongue as he began to help Mikado stand. Though he was given the okay to leave, Mikado still have to be in a small cast for a while before his leg was fully functional again.

Carefully, Anri and Shizuo watched over Mikado as he made his way to the car. Once he was in, Shizuo took the back seat and Kururi pulled Aoba inside as well. Anri took the driver's seat again and drove off. They were silent during the ride back until Anri's phone began to ring. She passed it over to Mikado, for safety reasons, and quickly heard the, [ANRI-CHAN!]

"Masaomi? Why are you screaming?" Mikado was confused, leaving the other surprised.

[Mikado? You're starting your new life with the wrong foot if you're answering a lady's cellphone!] He laughed but Mikado didn't find it funny. Neither did the rest as he was still loud enough to be heard inside the car. [Oh, but never mind that. Where are you guys?]

"Just left the hospital. Sonohara-san is driving us to Shizuo-san's place." Mikado felt a bit flustered about saying that and so did Shizuo. Aoba pouted at the whole comment while Kururi poked his cheek.

[Ah, I see. Well, can you swing by Sunshine for a quick moment and appease the goddess here? She caught me and won't let me go until she speaks to you. I mean, Saki managed to calm her down but she wants a word with you. And no! I won't give you my phone! Just wait 'till he gets here!] Those last lines were meant for someone else, Mikado could clearly tell before the line went dead. Confused by the whole ordeal, he passed along the message to Anri about what Masaomi asked.

Although she had a confused face, Anri agreed nonetheless. It wasn't as if they were in a hurry to go anywhere but she found it odd that Masaomi would ask such a weird thing out of them. Aoba relaxed himself in the back seat with Kururi as Mikado turned on the radio. Shizuo watched the road outside until he saw the Sunshine building in the far away distance. The others did as well, noting how eerily dark it looked from afar.

Anri suddenly began to slow her driving, catching the attention of Mikado. "Why are you slowing down, Sonohara-san?"

"I don't want to go there." In a very out of character fashion, Anri had declared softly. Aoba and Kururi had suddenly shared her sentiments while Shizuo began to tap his foot with the floor, looking very nervously at said floor.

"What's going on?" Mikado looked at the three in the back confused. He wanted an explanation but no one was giving it to him. However, Aoba found a bit of courage to speak and told Anri, "Just go and let's get this over with." With a nod, Anri upped the speed a bit and very soon, Mikado saw what everyone was terrified of.

Clad in a fully deep black armor and ridding her signature headless horse, was Celty Sturluson the Dullahan in all of her might and glory. There was a black carriage behind her where Mikado could see an unmoving Kishitani Shinra. Saki stood a couple of feet to the side, right next to Masaomi, who hung upside down inside Celty's shadows. There was a small crowd who didn't dare get into a twelve feet radius of the famed Dullahan.

"Is she angry at me?" Mikado could feel the pressure coming from his old friend. He realized this is why everyone seemed nervous. Taking a deep breath, he opened his door and slowly got out.

"You should go too, Shizuo-san." Anri suddenly spoke and Kururi concurred, pushing the blond bouncer a bit. "I believe this is due to what Ryugamine-kun wrote yesterday. Still, I can't believe she came here so fast." That last line was simply murmured but Kururi had thought the same.

After a small pause, Shizuo got out and quickly made his way next to Mikado, matching his pace with the injured male's one. There was an unnerving silence, as if he were walking to his death. Somehow, he thought that the fear everyone felt was due to the fact that Celty had apparently nearly destroyed two cities by getting even with Izaya once before. And yet, even while he thought about this, Mikado found himself contemplating on how none of those stories managed to reach his ears during his time abroad. He chucked it up to his allies over there keeping some information from him. Assuming it was part of his training, Mikado realized he had taken the final step towards Celty.

Now that he was closer, Mikado could see that the previously well-known underground doctor was unconscious. Also the most important thing, which was the news that Anri had delivered to him those weeks back when he had first arrived. It was the same face he knew well and he mentally slapped himself since the whole surgery was for the purpose of tricking that obsessed person. Mikado reminded himself of where he was when he saw Celty climb down.

"So? Why wasn't I told of this first?" It was strange to hear the voice coming from a head that wasn't attached to anything but both males thought it pleasantly suited her. "Shizuo, aren't I your friend?"

"This wasn't something I could easily say back then. And we weren't able to talk things out until recently. Also…" Shizuo stopped when he saw the shocked face that Celty had. It was as if she was having an epiphany.

"Back then? H-how long has this been going on? What could have happened? Wait, Mikado left and then…" There was a loud gasp and Celty remained motionless for a few seconds. Mikado tried to speak but was cut off by her scream. "You abused of Mikado?"

Masaomi was the first to laugh loudly, having already said the same thing before. Mikado groaned lightly, wondering why everyone thought so badly of Shizuo, who simply wondered how Celty had so little faith in him. He somewhat decided it was because Mikado seemed the most meek of the two and he knew his faults well so he couldn't entirely blame her but this was simply ridiculous.

"Who abused who?" Shinra's sudden voice called the attention of everyone else. He looked around and saw everything in the area. Standing up, he stretched himself. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing that we got here so soon, but Celty, you didn't need to take it so fast. Your horse is tired, isn't he? Also, I'm pretty sure Mikado-kun wouldn't just run away because Shizuo did something to him. You should know that well by now."

Trying to hide his blush, Mikado looked away. Shizuo, in turn, kept quiet and glanced the other way. "Uh… So… I got that wrong…? Then…Mikado is the one who…?" Celty looked terribly confused and didn't seem like she knew what to do. It seemed as though she was still processing all the information given to her. Then, quite suddenly, she looked angry and screamed, "But why didn't you two talk about it with anyone? Why did you have to keep quiet about this for six years?"

The crowd watched the shadows move with her anger and Masaomi quickly fell to the floor. He looked happy to have been let go at last. "I worried and I worried and I worried! And what did it give me? Two idiot friends who can't rely on anyone but themselves! I was this close to looking for you in America, Mikado! But Shinra said to give you some space, so I did. I regret this now."

"I did think you had something to do with it but I chose to let you fix your own problems, Shizuo. That might've been a mistake on my part. I agree with Celty that it's dumb that neither of you spoke to anyone about this but you can't change the past. So…" As Shinra spoke, he got down of the carriage and walked over to Shizuo. When he placed his hands on Shizuo's shoulders, he smiled. "I guess congratulations are in order."

The shadows completely retreated and the air felt clear again. Celty came over as well and hugged Mikado as tightly as she could with her free arm. "I'm so happy it was you Shizuo chose. But don't ever hide things from me again, alright?" As confused as he was, Mikado could only nod as slowly as possible. Recalling an earlier conversation with Izaya, he realized that the people on his side were a lot more than he could ever imagine. It slightly scared him a little.

**To Be Continued…**


	34. Visiting the Change

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 33:<strong> Visiting the Change  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Some more random things.

* * *

><p>The sun shone brightly the morning of the Sunday after Mikado had his homecoming house party. Just as Shizuo had spoken to him before, his stuff, what little of it there was, was brought over to Shizuo's apartment. What Mikado did not know until he had arrived there, which was after Celty forgave him and followed them to Shizuo's place, was that Shizuo no longer lived in his old apartment.<p>

"Well, the lease ran out." Shizuo started to explain that day. "Kasuka found out and forced me to come here. I get to see Ruka often so I can't complain. And there aren't any other neighbors around to bother me either."

"Except me and Saki!" Masaomi interjected very happily as he had come with Celty. Mikado hadn't realized it yet, though he should have. After all, the two were going out, and were to wed sometime in the year, so it was a given that they would be living together. And he hadn't visited them at all since he came back.

Still, he hadn't expected something like this. It was completely desolate. The hallway, that is. It was probably what really scared him. "It's just like Shizuo to pick a corner apartment." Shinra mused to himself jokingly.

"By the way Mikado, me and Saki live in the floor above, on the apartment to the right just after you get off the elevator. Come visit us later!" He quickly said and just as quickly left the group with Saki in tow while hiding a suspicious parcel in his hands.

"Ah, I wish I could live here as well." Aoba pouted to himself, eyeing the apartment next door longingly.

"Oh, we don't have an apartment anymore, do we?" Shinra asked, slightly in a joking manner. To him, they were still on their honeymoon so they needn't worry about work or a place to live but he had simply spoke it out loud as he had just remembered. Celty simply sighed and somehow gave him a shake of her head.

After a small tour, in which Mikado realized how little Shizuo had, the rest left for the day. Both had spent the afternoon fixing things up before they decided to go out and buy a few things for the party the following evening. An extremely loud and embarrassing party that Mikado had just awoken from.

The first thing he saw was a broad and naked chest. Immediately, he freaked out. Not because he was afraid of an unknown male holding him tight, but because he already knew who it was. The light scars that served as reminders of his fights and inhuman strength simply told Mikado that he was correct in his assumption. Shizuo grumbled and Mikado made out something that sounded like a curse at the sunlight. Without waking him up, Mikado sat up to look at the destruction and mayhem in his new living room. He was somehow surprised Erika hadn't thrown the two on a bed away from the party simply because she could record them somehow.

Right next to Shizuo, but more like holding his head tight, was the sleeping Ruka. The boy had snuck in with his parents and proceeded to explore the apartment before laughing at all the drunk people. By Mikado's other side was a sleeping Anri and Ruri. He remembered the two had been put on the stand and forced to sing using Masaomi's karaoke machine.

Speaking of his best friend, Masaomi was over in a corner of the room with Saki in his arms. He had a complacent look on him. "Sempai…" He suddenly heard Aoba over on the table near Masaomi's position. Kururi was holding onto his back while Mairu held onto her older twin's back. There was a line of bodies around the two. Mikado could see Kyohei, Saburou, Walker and Chikage from his position, taking a mental note of the cards all over the four.

On the sofa in front of them sat Erika, Celty and Shinra. The Dullahan had Erika holding her arm while Shinra had his head on her lap. The head lay asleep on the table with Aoba. At their feet was a blond woman Mikado now remembered seeing the evening before. He paled for a moment and looked around. Sure enough, though he wasn't sure how he missed them in the first scan, Mikado noticed two sleeping bodies next to Masaomi and Saki.

"_So it goes like this. Pops got worried that my adorable hunny bunny would get targeted a second time and hired a bodyguard. She didn't do a very good job hiding her presence. But you didn't seem to notice her so I left her alone. Then she messed up when she heard me talking to you about that Izaya prick and we asked if you two knew each other. It's a really small world, Mikado!_"

Their presence alone made the whole party grow out of proportions. The two had a high alcohol tolerance and made good use of it. Somehow, he remembered Mairu chatting away with them and translating a few things for the two. Well, Mikado knew the two knew some Japanese since he taught them but he didn't think they'd use what little they knew to grab the blond bodyguard as a tour guide.

"Do you need help getting up, Mikado-kun?" Mikado was startled when he heard Kasuka's voice. He was rather surprised that the actor was already up and looked completely fine. There wasn't a hair out of place and his eyes didn't have any dark circles around them.

"Oh…uh, please." Mikado extended his hand and was brought to his feet without awakening anyone. The two retreated to the kitchen filled with bottle caps and empty cans. Half of his counter was already clean and Mikado noticed that it was the work of Kasuka. "I'll help as well, Kasuka-san."

With a confirming nod, the headed to work and very soon the kitchen looked livable again. After checking to see if they had enough food, the two males began making breakfast. They had only started when Ruri and Anri had appeared before them. Both females helped out however they could as they also prepared the water and pills for the soon-to-awaken-hungover people in the living room. Some probably wouldn't need it, such as Erika who never drank a drop, but they thought it might be necessary.

The doorbell rang and the four heard a quick, "Elephants!" from Aoba before the other fell asleep again. Masaomi snorted, as if he had heard the comment but was still fast asleep.

"I'll get it." Anri offered and walked over to the apartment door. It was strange that it was ringing as the apartment complex was secured and anyone visiting needed to be let in by Kasuka, Masaomi or Shizuo. However, both Anri and Mikado had an estimated guess as to who it could be. It proved correct as the chipper voice of Harima Mika greeted her old friend.

"Hi Anri-chan! So, where are they?" Her hairdo remained the same as always but it was visible that age was proportioning her mask very well. Shinra once called it an aging masterpiece as it didn't look a tad bit malformed. Mikado remembered Celty once commenting as well that if she could have aged, it might've looked like that.

"Shinra! Battle formation!" Celty had suddenly woken up and immediately, without checking his bearings first, Shinra had gotten up. He fell to the floor in a rolling fashion as he tripped with the sleeping Vorona in front of him but had grabbed the head quickly while yelling out, "Protecting Celty is my life!"

The males underneath Shinra had made a gasping sound before all five groaned from the headache. Whether they had a hangover or not, the party had been pretty loud so they were all tired. Aoba and the twins were startled awake by the crash and looked to the five men in confusion. Saki yawned alongside Masaomi and the two looked down at the mess.

"It's not like we're here to steal it. Why do you always react this way?" Yagiri Seiji came in, acting all calm, despite the mess of people he saw inside the apartment.

[It's the only fun we have, you know.] The PDA none of them had seen in a while appeared out of Celty's hand. For a single moment, they felt as though they could literally tell that she was happy. Mikado wondered if that was how Shinra felt on a daily basis.

"Oh, hey! You're cooking? I can help out!" Mika quickly headed into the kitchen to help while Seiji took a counter chair and waited for things to calm down. Slowly, the rest began to wake up, taking the offered water and pills. A series of conversations began until one hand crashed down on the floor.

"Shut up!" Shizuo grumbled as he woke up. Ruka lazily remained on Shizuo's shoulders without falling. "Why are you all here? Ruka, get them out." He had absolutely no problem ordering his nephew around but he hadn't taken anything into account and very soon a pile of people had thrown themselves at him and the child.

"Don't do that, Shizu-chan! It's much too early to be made into puppets." Erika joked around and saw Shizuo lift the pile with ease. With a small push, Mikado saw Kasuka nod at him. Sighing, he nodded in return and walked over to Shizuo. Softly, he placed a kiss on the man's shoulder and saw him freeze. Erika had quickly squealed and Ruka giggled like a maniac, especially when the dog pile Shizuo held fell with a loud thud.

"_Awesome! I can't believe I coulda missed this whole thing! Look at that, hunny bunny! Now ya can make your new book!_" The clapping brought the attention of the rest, most of which didn't know what was being said. With a quick jump, the owner of the commenting voice walked over to Mikado and placed his arm around Mikado's shoulders. "_Looks like I was right in coming to see how it ended up. At least you'll have better stability with this dude. You know, I never felt right about doing the things I did but I kept my promise to you, Mikado._"

"_Miss Vorona, miss Vorona._" The other one who had clapped walked over to the still sleeping Vorona and shook her awake. Once the bodyguard had risen up, the woman spoke to the female bodyguard. "_Looks like they're making breakfast. We'll go out for a tour after that, okay?_"

"_Right! Breakfast! Who wants flapjacks?_" Moving away from Mikado, the sponsor Mikado spoke so highly of invaded the kitchen to help make the breakfast for the day. Mikado chased after him, saying something about him destroying his kitchen and asking Kasuka for help in stopping the man.

**To Be Continued…**


	35. Change is Good

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 34:<strong> Change is Good  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> A bit more random things before we really finish things off.

* * *

><p>"Well, I'm glad things worked out for you, Ryugamine-kun." The professor spoke amicably as he drank his tea. The two curious visitors had come to see Mikado's new workplace, though the assistant professor wasn't yet back on the clock. "Next time, though, please keep your private and work life separate. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's the professional thing to do."<p>

"_It's true, prof. But then it wouldn't be as hilarious as I've been told it was._" The most annoying person in the room laughed as he pretended nothing had anything to do with him and he was simply a spectator. His girlfriend shook her head and sighed before smacking him on the head.

"I apologize, Mikado. It seems he just doesn't learn." She spoke quite easily in Japanese to Mikado as she sipped her tea. "_Ooh, pretty good._"

"No, it was my mistake, thinking that he wouldn't say something stupid like usual." Mikado sighed and stood up. "You have a class soon, right professor? Should we have a lecture regarding the classes on that side since we have guests?"

"Oh! Not a bad idea at all! What do you say? Would you like to teach a class with me?" The professor asked, in a sudden good mood. Mikado's injury had made his retirement and teaching of Mikado's post to be set back a bit but if he had guests today, his students might be more interested in class.

"Teach?" A sudden scoff brought a chill to their backs. Both Mikado and the 'hunny bunny' knew what the other was thinking. In its exact nature. "_Awesome! I always enjoy bullying brats! Come on, Mikado! Show me where my victims are!_" Pulling at the other, but making sure Mikado didn't trip on his crutch, both were out the door before either of the ones left behind had anything to say about the situation.

A soft sigh from both broke the silence. With a smile, she spoke up. "Well, shall we professor?" The professor nodded and stood up, picking up his materials for class with help from the other. Very soon, they were out the door in search for the other two.

… … …

"Kida-kun… No, I suppose I should start calling you both by your first names so I don't confuse you. Masaomi-kun…" Anri started as she stared deeply into Masaomi's eyes. The host had a bright smile on his face and didn't seem to mind at all that his good friend was about to threaten him.

"Chill, Anri-chan! I was just joking about that! I just thought you should know!" Masaomi cryptically tried to ease her, though he was overjoyed by the fact that Anri was now calling him by his first name. "Is Mikado coming over? You should give him something soon too. I already gave him something and I heard Yuuhei-san did too."

"Well, I suppose. But I will not do the same thing you did, Masaomi-kun." She sighed when she remembered how Shizuo nearly threw Masaomi out the window the moment Mikado had opened the present his best friend had gotten him. Erika had no doubt enjoyed it as she mentioned something along the lines of getting him the same thing but it still seemed cruel to tease the two like that.

"Oh! There's Saki. Well, off to see my lovely fiancée!" Masaomi grinned and quickly headed out of the store before Anri said anything else. He thought about his best friend and could only grin happily. Things were different now, true, but it still made him happy nonetheless to have his best bud around. "Yo Saki!" He answered the phone as he took the main road to the nursery.

… … …

"So that's the kind of things that have happened?" Tom talked with Vorona while Shizuo took a step away from them in embarrassment. Vorona took the opportunity when her clients were with Mikado on campus to visit her other sempai. The whole moment was spent relating all the things that had happened between Mikado and Shizuo to Tom. "Well, Shizuo never tells me anything so I'm happy to hear this turn of events."

"He's a very hard worker, that one. They suit each other." Vorona said as calmly as ever but Tom could see that she had been glancing at Shizuo for a while now. The Russian woman always admired Shizuo so he supposed she was just a bit averse to seeing him with someone but he could also see that anything that made her previous sempai happy also made her happy.

"Oh, wait. That's the one that gave you that cake all those years ago, right?" Tom suddenly remembered and Shizuo nearly chocked himself on nothing but air. "Well that's nice. So you've been friends with him that long, eh? And just recently took a deep plunge into forbidden territory? So I suppose you haven't done him yet?"

As Shizuo nearly fell to the floor in shock, Vorona didn't miss a step and answered for her sempai. "He hasn't. Shizuo-sempai wouldn't do something to his beloved until he is all better again."

"Blind faith, right? I think so too. So when does he get his cast off? Oh, wait. I suppose we'll find out the day after." Tom teased his coworker and Vorona even smiled lightly but both kept quiet the moment they saw Shizuo kick a hole in the wall behind him. His face, all the way up to his ears, was red and the two watching couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

… … …

"Come Ruka-kun! Make me happy!" Walker edged the boy on with a snack in his hands. If there was one thing he knew by now it was that Ruka was obsessed with sweets. But Erika wasn't about to lose to him.

"No, Ruka-chan! Believe in the BL!" Erika tried to do the same and the boy looked at the two adults with curiosity. They were in the middle of another bet with each other as Ruri watched curiously for the outcome. She had a bit of an inkling how this would turn out but decided to keep quiet for the moment.

It had started with the otaku pair deciding that they couldn't agree with the baby's gender, though they had decided to wait, and in order to one up the other they decided to get Ruka to decide. If he went with Walker, the baby was female. If he went with Erika, the baby would be twin boys. Ruka, however, had no idea what the two adults wanted, aside from trying to coax him with candy.

As the two called for the young boy, Ruka began to take his first step. In the direction Walker didn't want him to take. "Yes! Come this way, Ruka-chan! Make my BL fantasy come true!" Erika was overjoyed until Ruka tapped her belly happily. The simple act caused her confusion and she was stoned the moment Ruka took the sweets from her hands and ran over to Walker, effectively taking the candy from him as well before running off.

"Ruka loves sweets." Ruri reminded them both and stood up, leaving both soon-to-be-parents dejected.

… … …

"I'll see you some other time, then." Celty said calmly and looked a bit sad to part from Mikado so she gave him a tight hug. Since she had already fulfilled her purpose in Ikebukuro, she was ready to return to her honeymoon. Of course, there was something else she had done but she wasn't about to say it at the moment. Only thinking about it made her smile.

"Celty-san?" Mikado looked at the Dullahan's face with a confused look, wondering what could have made her this happy. Her husband stood to the side with Shizuo, laughing as he remembered what had happened.

"_I swear on my name that if you don't stop bothering Mikado then I'll devote the remainder of your life to making you miserable and preventing you from doing the things you love best. If you think what I did two years ago was bad and none of your business, how do you think your own life would look when I get serious?_"

Shinra knew Celty wouldn't actually go through with it, but anyone with half a brain that remembered the chaos that his beloved brought would never try something dumb. At least, he hoped so. It was his friend they were thinking of after all. "Anything happens, you tell me right away. Got it?" Mikado quickly nodded in order to not get threatened himself and watched those four friends of his leave with Shizuo, Anri and Erika by his side. No one else had managed to come since they were busy but had offered their goodbyes beforehand.

"You know, I think it's time you got your own car instead of renting one all the time." Erika joked around as they left the airport in Anri's rental. Mikado stifled a laugh as Shizuo dozed off.

**To Be Continued…**


	36. Change is

**Title:** Things that change for better or for worse  
><strong>Chapter 35:<strong> Change is non-stopping, continuous and sometimes the same.  
><strong>By:<strong> Sissy

**Disclaimer:** DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Random end.

* * *

><p>"The right goes first because it is the right of passage and so Niko is number one!" The child on the right took the step with the left leg and stumbled when the child on the left placed his right leg in his way.<p>

"You took a step with your left, obviously that goes second. That means Niko is second again." Calmly, he helped Kuronuma Niko up but was tackled to the ground by his companion.

"Ichi is left but you used your right! Huh? Does that mean you're right?" With a confused look, Niko was thrown off by his older brother, Kuronuma Ichi. The spectator next to them tilted her head before asking, "What are you talking about?"

Quickly, Ichi and Niko turned to face Kida Kisa with a bored look. "Isn't it obvious? Who goes first." The echo of their voices made Kisa happy and she tackled Ichi before he got up from the floor. "Ichi goes first! Always and forever! Because Niko is Ichi's clone!"

"What the devils are you three doing now?" With a slightly bored look on his face, Heiwajima Ruka saw Niko stand up and mount a defense.

"Ah! Ruka! Today's the day I…! Ah! S-stop! Stop it, Ruka! Fight me fair!" Niko twirled around with his hands in the air until he was so dizzy he fell back to the floor. Ichi quickly sighed and Kisa simply giggled at the whole thing. Hiding thee accusing finger, Ruka chuckled to himself.

"Don't do that, Ruka. Niko-kun is always trying his best." Yumasaki Nadeshiko helped Niko get up from the floor but the other didn't seem pleased.

He mumbled to himself, "Stupid Nabe-shi, I can take care of myself." However, Ruka had heard him and picked up the boy with one hand.

"How many times have I said not to call my bride that?" Ruka asked seriously, a threatening gaze on his face. Nadeshiko quickly took Niko away from Ruka before the older boy tried to do anything with him. She already knew her boyfriend well enough to know when he thought about over-teasing the children.

"Ichi, isn't it time?" Kisa suddenly asked with a curious look down at her obsession.

Ichi quickly clicked his tongue and got up from the floor, ignoring how Kisa didn't leave his side. "Niko, we gotta go. Uncle should be passing by soon." Ichi told his younger brother, who looked pretty happy and broke free from Nadeshiko's grasp.

"What'll it be today?" Niko began asking as he and Kisa exchanged ideas out loud. "Knives? Guns? Trap holes? Ooh, nice Kuzu. Ichi, planks! Thanks, Niko. Um, falling windows! Suspension bridge! Piano! What? That makes no sense, Kuzu. Chokehold! Aw, I wanted to say that one, Niko. Swing the bat, then!" By the time Ichi placed his hands on both of them, they were already too excited.

"Hey, kids. You know the one to kill your uncle is my own uncle, right?" Ruka asked them with a curious look on his face. Nadeshiko all but gave up by now trying to stop them.

"Kill? Are you this dumb?" Both Ichi and Niko spoke at the same time, much to the joy of Kisa. "We'll just beat him to death. Besides, it's obvious that uncle won't die easily and it's way more fun to scare him. By the way, we'll be coming over later to eat some sweets so don't you dare eat them all you glutton." With that, the twins skipped out as if they were already in the midst of their plans while Kisa hurried off after them.

"Am I that much of a glutton? Besides, sugar is good for the brain. Uncle said so." Ruka pouted and felt Nadeshiko petting him. He knew that she was trying to tell him that those weren't exactly the correct words but that it didn't matter. "I love you too, Nade." He smiled and took her hand in his.

… … …

"Wah!" Mikado jumped up with a startled face. He knew he was going crazy but that was just weird. _What was that anyways?_ He was curious but saw a two pairs of eyes staring at him. Before he could scream, Ruka roared like usual and jumped out of bed.

"I think he's just bothering us. I doubt he can see the future." Shizuo rationed quite easily as he got up as well. After stretching his arms, he got out of bed and stretched some more.

"The only reason I worry is because Kasuka-san said that Ruka-kun has good instincts like you do, Shizuo-san." Mikado explained his worry and followed suit. He was a bit tired but since the two Heiwajimas looked hungry the moment he saw them again, Mikado headed to the kitchen. "And if that's how Ruka-kun will look, I worry for his future."

"What's wrong with my face? Don't tell me you'll have a hard time telling the difference between us?" Shizuo looked a tad bit jealous as Ruka laughed loudly, almost as if at him.

"No, it's not that. I worry he'll be misunderstood a lot." Mikado sighed and heard Ruka roar again, as if in high spirits. For a moment, Mikado felt very happy and so did Shizuo. But then, he stopped working on the mix for French toast in his hands and paled. He quickly turned around and stared at Ruka in horror. Shizuo seemed confused but before he could ask what was wrong, Mikado spoke up. "Shizuo-san… How long has Ruka-kun been here?"

Shizuo tilted his head curiously and Erika would've screamed in joy at how Ruka mimicked him. But then Shizuo understood the message and turned to Ruka quickly, looking more surprised than horrified like Mikado did. "Ruka, when did you get here?" He asked his nephew, hoping for an answer he wasn't going to get as Ruka simply grinned widely at him.

"Kasuka-san is going to kill us if Ruka-kun ever saw…" Shizuo stopped Mikado's train of thought by pulling him in close for a kiss. He was also worried but not as terrified as Mikado was and, at the moment, he just wished to calm the nerves of the other.

"I'm sure Ruka is more sensible than that. Now hurry up or you'll be late for your first day back." Shizuo spoke calmly and Mikado nodded in agreement before returning to the mixture. Ruka chuckled to himself as he waited patiently for his breakfast. By now, his mother had probably assumed he'd run off to his uncle's apartment and would be looking for him soon.

But all Ruka watched and cared for at the moment was that sweet aroma of food. His uncle's starting love life was of no interest to him.

**END**

As a token of appreciation and apology, Ruri took Mikado to see Ruka's fear. Playing a sidestep dance, Ruka and Simon were in a deadlock until the boy ran back to his mother. When prompted to answer what was happening, Ruri explained. "Ruka is afraid of clowns because they're always smiling. Therefore, he's terrified of Simon because he's too small to figure out a way to avoid him. It makes for an excellent excuse if you need to control his playful habits."

Thankful for the information, Mikado headed back home with the two.

**Small Extra End**

Sissy: And we're done! I know… I filled this chapter alone with more OCs than the rest of the series (I'll explain a bit about them now if anyone cares).

The three nameless OCs were fun to write (the sponsor more than anyone). The "hunny bunny" was supposed to be the famous author Erika adores. As for the first named OC, Ruka, I fell for him since the moment I put him in (he was originally supposed to be a werewolf-ish type). I planned to have him do a lot of tricks to join the couple (which ended up being used in the climax chase). As for the children of the "future", it would be hilarious if it turned out like that. Nadeshiko (I had a hard time picking this name) ended up like a calm big sister (though I wouldn't be surprised if she's a big closet otaku). Ichi and Niko are supposed to be fraternal. Ichi is the calmer one but similar to Izaya (especially in looks, which serves to piss off a lot of people, including Ichi himself) though he's more childishly mischievous rather than mischievously childish (which is sort of my impression of Izaya). Niko is more expressive but equally mischievous like Ichi (though he's similar to Aoba as well, including looks) and wants to beat Ruka (but he can't because of Ruka's ability). Niko also likes to insult those he admires. Kisa is Masaomi's darling daughter (which he would totally dote on, making her personality similar to his) and fully in love with Ichi (not reciprocated 'cuz Kisa is a year older). I imagine it would make Masaomi depressed to know about this crush since it would mean he lost his daughter (similar in looks only to Saki) to an Izaya look-a-like.

That's it! I hope everyone enjoyed this series and thank you so much for reading it up to here (maybe including my rant?) as well as all the faves and alerts! I will love any reviews that you send my way! And if I forgot to explain something, I will do my best to explain it to you. Xd


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